Lecture 12b:

1
Lecture 12b

• Language, Thought Culture Style, Slang,
  Jargon, Taboo Words, Gendered Language

2
Styles, Slang Jargon

• Styles or Registers varieties of language that
  are specific to a particular situation
• Formal or informal
• Are you going to take Linguistics 20?
• Gonna take Ling 20?
• We all have control over different styles
• Other languages have more elaborate codes of
  style usage
• Thai dæk, kin, thaan, raprathan, chan

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Styles or Registers

• Can you think of other examples of how you might
  say the same thing in two different ways,
  depending on the situation (i.e., when, where, to
  whom) in which you were speaking?

4
Styles, Slang Jargon

• Slang informal, nonstandard vocabulary, usually
  intelligible only to people from a particular
  region or social group.
• Function to mark social identity
• Subject to rapid change
• Old words, new combos Spaced out, right on,
  hangup, rip-off
• New words Barf, flub, pooped
• Shortened forms dis, narc, fan
• Old words, new meanings grass, pot, pig, rap,
  stoned, slit
• Slang can become standard
• tv
• Fan
• Phone
• mob
• Etc.

5
Slang

• Can you think of examples of slang that youve
  heard recently that you didnt understand?
• Can you think of examples of slang that may be
  different in other parts of the country or in
  other social groups?

6
Styles, Slang Jargon

• Jargon or Argot a set of words unique to a
  particular science, profession, trade or
  occupation
• Linguistic Jargon
• phoneme, morpheme, case, lexicon, phrase
  structure rule, etc.
• Computer Jargon
• Modem (modulator demodulator)
• Bit (binary digit)
• ROM (Read-only memory
• TAM (Random-access memory)
• Morf (male or female)

7
Jargon or Argot

• What is some of the jargon of your major field of
  study?
• Can you think of jargon related to other aspects
  of your life, i.e., you job, your hobby, etc.?

8
Denotations Connotations

• Denotation that which a word refers to.
• Connotation the affect that use of the word
  conjures up
• Terrorist vs. Freedom fighter
• Aggressive vs. Pushy
• Closemouthed vs. Secretive
• Ballsy womens libber vs. Courageous womens
  advocate

9
Taboo Words

• Sex is a four letter word.
• Certain words are taboo they are not to be
  used, or at least, not in polite company.
• In English, words borrowed from Latin sound
  scientific and therefore appear to be technical
  ad clean, where as native Anglo-Saxon
  counterparts are taboo.
• A reflection of the opinion that vocabulary used
  by the upper classes is superior to that used by
  the lower classes.
• Norman Conquest of 1066

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Taboo vs. Clean Words

• Anglo-Saxon taboo words
• Shit
• Tits
• Prick
• Cock
• Cunt
• Fuck
• Balls
• Etc.

• Latinate acceptable words
• Feces
• Breasts
• Penis
• Penis
• Vagina
• Intercourse
• Testicles
• Etc.

11
Racial, National, Religious, Gender, Sexual
Orientation Epithets

• The use of epithets for people of different
  religions, nationalities, race, gender or sexual
  orientation tells us something about the users of
  these words.
• E.g., boy, slant, bitch, fag, Buddha-head, to gyp
• The use of epithets perpetuates stereotypes,
  separates people from one another and reflects
  racism, sexism, homophobia.
• Have you ever had any experience with epithets?
  If so, what was the reaction?

12
Euphemisms

• A word or phrase that replaces a taboo word or
  serves to avoid frightening or unpleasant
  subjects
• unpleasant word euphemism
• die pass (on/away)
• mortician funeral director
• urinate / defecate go to the powder room

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Conclusions

• The discussion of taboo words and euphemisms
  shows that words of a language are not
  intrinsically good or bad, but reflect individual
  or societal values.

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Language and Gender

• 1970s Riddle
• Reflection of stereotyped gender roles
• My cousin the doctor / professor / engineer /
  airline pilot vs.
• My cousin the nurse / elementary teacher /
  secretary / typist
• My neighbor is blonde.
• Pioneers and Their Wives

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Language and Gender Pejorative Terms

• How many words can you think of for men?
• How many for women?
• Among those the book identifies are Dish,
  tomato, piece, chick, piece of tail, bunny,
  bitch, doll, slut, cow, etc.
• Why are there so many more for women?

16
Language and Gender Marked and Unmarked Forms

• One striking fact about the asymmetry between
  male and female terms in many languages is that
  when there are male/female pairs, the male form
  is unmarked and the female term is created by
  adding a suffix to it
• Prince / princess
• Count / countess
• Actor / actress
• Host / hostess
• Hero / heroine
• Etc.
• Is this true in the languages you know?

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Language and Gender Generic He

• The unmarked, or male terms used to serve as
  general terms
• All men are created equal
• The brotherhood of man
• Everyone must pick up for himself.
• In the past generation, this area of language has
  changed quite a bit
• Mankind gt people, manpower gt personnel, mothering
  gt nurturing, to man gt to operate, mailman gt
  postal worker, fireman gt firefighter, etc.
• Everyone must pick up for themselves.
• Is this happening in other languages that you
  know?

18
Language and Gender - Dialects

• In many languages, there are separate forms that
  are distinctive of male or female use
• Thai
• Japanese
• Other languages you know?
• In English
• Lovely, cute, darling, adorable, marvelous, etc.
• Can you think of other gender marked features
  of English?

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How we are socialized into gender roles since
early on and its effect on the language we use.

• Deborah Tannen
• Department of Linguistics
• Georgetown University

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Conclusions

• Linguistic (dialect) differences do not represent
  deficits or deficiencies in our thinking.
• To command a wide range of language varieties
  allows us to function in a wide variety of
  setting with a range of other participants.
• At the same time, our use of language is the
  single most powerful indicator of who we are
• Our regional origins
• Our social class
• Our educational level
• Our values and beliefs
• The clarity of our own thinking