What language does the YOUTH SPEAK?
DICTIONARY IS SO YESTERDAY. EMOJI SPELLING BEE IS THE COOL NEW. THE YOUTH IS COMMUNICATING DIFFERENTLY — THEY’RE TALKING INSTA STORIES, HASHTAGS AND PUPPERS.
What’s the right way to condense the word ‘usually’? Is it, “yoozh”, “ouj” or “ush”? The answer is unclear, yet is on rounds on Twitter. For digital natives, the dictionary is better left in the library. They prefer virtual assistants, Siri or Alexa. Words for these youngsters can come to dawn new connotations almost overnight. For instance, slay now means success in a task. You may criticise their play on words, but how much are they to blame? Born into an age of 140-characters, the youth communicates in novel ways that aren’t easy to decipher.
Doggie-love lingo
Pupper, doggo or pupperinos come in all shapes and sizes. They bork and boof. Never heard of these before? It’s time to acquaint yourself with a peculiar language trend that’s completely dog- centric. Known as DoggoLingo, it usually accompanies a video or picture of a dog. A possible explanation for this furry obsession is that as bad news floods timelines the world over, people seek an escape. “Dogs, in general, are wholesome and uplifting,” Dogspotting moderator Molly Bloomfield told National Public Radio (NPR). She adds that regardless of political views, gender, socio-economic status; everyone loves dogs and dogs love everyone. This dog-centric positivity has driven the popularity of dog-speak to new heights. Even Merriam-Webster is aware of terms like doggo and pupper. Though the words have a long way to go before they’re eligible for an entry into the dictionary — they need to be used in published, edited work over an extended period — they’re strong contenders.
Fanfiction as subculture
When it comes to media consumption, the youngsters have successfully established an alternate culture in what is known as fanfiction. The website FanFiction.com has 2 million subscribers with over 6,50,000 Harry Potter and 3,00,000 Naruto stories. Under the General Category alone, there are around 10,000 communities. Scholars at the Journal of Media Literacy Educa- > Woke Meaning: Knowing what’s going on. It’s from a dialect called African American Vernacular English (AAVE). How to use it: The first episode of GoT S7 has me WOKE! > FAM Meaning: Short for family; to refer to people cared for other than one’s immediate relatives. How to use it: “Hi Insta fam, I need some motivation today.” > LIt Meaning: Alight or on fire, metaphorically. How to use it: Person A: “How’s last night’s concert?” Person B: “It was lit!” > LoW key Meaning: Not too obvious. How to use it: “I had a fight with Janice today. I think she low-key hates me.” > DeD Meaning: The speaker isn’t tion say authors of fanfic rely on their readers’ prior knowledge of characters from stories to craft original fiction. It all depends on the fandom one likes. It started as a unique practice amongst the youth of the 1960s, wherein Star Trek fans began to exchange stories via fan-interest magazines and sci-fi conventions. Today, the amateur artists of Japan circulate Dōjinshi, self-published comic books based on favourite anime and manga stories. Also, many young fanfiction practitioners gather in online communities formed by a shared love for a similar entertainment movie, book or show regardless of demographic details such as gender, age or ability.
Speak change
With euphemisms, acronyms and emojis on board, the youngsters aren’t afraid to discuss topics that were once taboo. For instance, t he hashtag #WhatYouDontSee united many youngsters to speak about depression. Stories of sexual harassment, bullying, abuse, stress, actually dead, but feels dead. How to use it: That poker face of Channing Tatum has me DED. > tFW Meaning: Acronym for ‘that feeling when.’ How to use it: TFW your stomach begins to make noises in a silent classroom. > extRA Meaning: Excessive or melodramatic. The new OTT. How to use it: “Beyonce’s baby announcement is so extra.” > HunDo P Meaning: Hundred per cent. How to use it: Person A: “Are you in for the midnight bonfire?” Person B: “Hundo P, bro.” > BInge SLeeP Meaning: To sleep for hours in advance for coming days. How to use it: “I’ll prepare for exams with a binge sleep session.’ etc. are now out in the open courtesy of blog posts, Insta stories and live-chats.
The existence of a common language is an important factor that’s bringing the youth across the globe together. Fast and collaborative, these masters of Internet-speak create a Holler wherever they are — be it at world summits, conferences or in their neighbourhoods.
Hint of past
Yes, whilst new words are born with each generation, the youth is also using words that were popular with previous generations. Cool is one such word — its popularity refuses to diminish. Of course, it is now spelt differently — kool, kewl, koo-wel or just coo. One can say that kool is the new age replacement for OK, Okay, Good and Fine.
Have you updated your lingo?
Here’s a crash course. Start with combination words; chilling out and relaxing becomes ‘chillaxing’, and true and real become ‘trill’. Some words owe their ori- gin to the sound — bling-bling for jewellery. Also, gender specific words are old news. You can greet both your male and female friends as ‘Hey, dude’ or ‘Hey, man!’ Just walked into a party and bumped into a friend who is overdressed? ‘Her outfit is too EXTRA for the evening’.
Whose line is it anyway?
Language evolves to meet the convenience of its users. It comes as no surprise that srsly (short for seriously) and selfie hold the Oxford Dictionary stamp. Scrabble is not far off the word-game with its new slang additions. “Prezzie” is a high-scorer on the board. The Emoji Spelling Bee that took place for the first time in 2016 gives a glimpse of the future of spell-check and grammar. As acronyms and slangs seep into our screen time, tbh, there’s a lot to review.
“I prefer not to think of it as a whole “new language”, but our existing language that is everevolving. Language is an integral part of any culture and as our societies and lifestyle evolve with technology, it is natural that our language and ways of communication will change too. Slang language is also reflective of a particular time period — how many slang words from the ‘70s are still used today? And with that in mind, how many of today’s slang words will be used decades from now? Slang language can help break the ice in conversations, and relax a tense or very formal situation,” says Anushka Chugani, director of operations, Hale Education Group, Dubai.
“It” words to add to your vocabulary, and ‘Bae’ isn’t on the list. Read on.
Are we forgetting spellings?
“Auto-correct is both a blessing and a curse. It may help you get out of a sticky situation when you’re unsure of a certain spelling, but in the long run, it leads to an unhealthy reliance on tools,” says Dayana Begalieva (17), an International Relations student, American University of Sharjah. She adds: “Slangs do help teens to connect with one another, but can cause difficulties when reading novels or academic texts.”
It’s time to re-write the definition of communication, for it is no longer about words. Memes, GIFs, emojis, hashtags and chats have overtaken.
What your favourite new-age word or phrase? Write to us at letters@khaleejtimes.com.