Internet Language
The Linguistics of 'YouTube Voice'
This brief article characterizes the linguistic style of famous YouTubers, and includes hyperlinks to video examples. The author notes that YouTubers end up sounding very similar, even though their goal is to sound unique. [Published on 12-07-2015]
What is 'Cheugy'?
This is an article on the slang term 'cheugy', something that has recently been gaining popularity on Tik Tok and other social media! [Published on 04-29-2021]
Common Teenage Slang Terms
This article helps define several common teenage slang terms to aid parents' understanding of common slang terms that their teenagers may use. Some example of words that are prominent in teenage slang include "goals", "on fleek", and "thot". These slang terms are informal, yet very popular in usage both in person and online by teenagers, and thus this source provides a small description of a few terms to aide in parent's understanding of their teen's vernacular. [Published on 08-22-2018]
YEE.T
Picture of the alien ET on top and then of a meme'd version of ET with various emojis to make him seem more "dank" below entitled YEE.T ("ji-ti") [Published on 05-25-2018]
How Automated Tools Discriminate Against Black Language
CW for racism, linguistic discrimination, & (to a lesser extent) sexism & ableism. An article about how the comment moderation software Perspective deems AAL and other "non-standard" language more toxic or rude, resulting in the censorship of marginalized voices. It addresses the larger problem of white people not understanding AAL, which results in racist software like this being common as long as people (especially women) of color are prevented access to the computer science field. [Published on 03-05-2019]
Slang in Young Generation
Play videoThis video shows how young generation uses slang in their language. It also shows that the difference of using slang based on the different social background and experience. The discussion between daughter and mother shows how speech community has its own ways of speaking and how important the meaning of words transfer and change in today's society.
Analysis of billions of Twitter words reveals how American English develops
Researchers at U. Birmingham analyzed almost 1 billion twitter posts in English to find new and common emerging words in the English language.
How Technology Has Changed the Meaning of Words
This infographic made by Decluttr, gives examples of how technology has changed the meaning of some words. Technology has progressed at such a rapid rate, that the semantic change of words has also moved at a very fast rate.
How to Speak Internet 101
Play videoThis artifact contains terms and phrases that are used on the Internet and provides an explanation and briefing of what context these terms can be used in. The video explains Internet "slang" terms.
Teens Tell All About Slang
Play videoThis video emphasizes a new language habit of teenagers in todays' world. What I mean is using slang. Slang is highly informal and often used in colloquial speech. It is a part of a language that is usually outside of standard usage and that may consist of both newly coined words and phrases and of new or extended meanings attached to established terms. This video helps you to understand some slangs with a good explanation of the reason for these changes.
"Dangerous" Teenage Texting Slang
This article covers a viewpoint of parents on slang used over text by teenagers. The article provides lists of acronyms to provide insight in what teens are saying and ways for parents to "decode". It is interesting to see that communication has adapted so much to the point where an older generation needs a "decoding" list in order to understand conversations of younger generations. It also shows the difference in speech communities between two sets of age groups. [Published on 06-12-2017]
Grammar gripes: why do we love to complain about language?
This article discusses the nature of prescriptivism and how modern technologies are contributing to language change [Published on 03-11-2018]
You Should Watch The Way You Punctuate Your Text Messages - Period
This article shows and interesting way of performativity in regards to the way texting has evolved over time. [Published on 12-20-2015]
How the triplet flow took over rap
Play videoAlthough the usage of triplets (i.e. the “Migos” flow) has become very popular as of late, and is currently heard on just about every rap track that hits the Billboard 100, the usage of triplets in rap is not something new. It has its roots in Midwestern and Southern rap communities in the 80s onward. In rap, a triplet is essentially like setting your verse to 3/4 time - three beats per bar rather than 4. In rap, it can be used as a sort of verbal trick - it could slow down a song by throwing off the expected rhythm our brain is expecting to hear or even speed it up. Listening to verses in triplets can also make the rappers’ flow feel cleaner. Lyrically, the songs can be flexible or rigid, allowing a diverse range of rap styles to be done over the beat.
The Doge Meme
Fun Fact: it is the 12 year anniversary of the term doge. An internet famous canine known to many, one of the original meme phenomenons: the "doge." Originating with a picture of perplexed Shiba Inu, this picture was one of the first to get the meme movement going. Somehow, this photo of a dog evolved into the same picture with a smorgasbord of random phrases on it in juvenile neon comic sans font. Phrases such as "very wow" "such fun" "so perplex" "much doge" which are obviously not grammatically correct, nor do they make any sense, but for some reason everybody understands and laughs along. There are countless versions of the doge that apply to any situation, and the use of doge language is still relevant and understood 12 years later. [Published on 02-06-2014]
Fabricated Cognates as Memes
In October 2016 a trend began of tweets that were probably photos of food, with a caption that ended with a nonsense phrase; a phrase that when read, makes no sense, but when spoken, sounds oddly like "bon appetít." The use of this and related phrases indexed the users/tweeters as cool, hip, and knowledgeable about pop culture, and it allowed them to show off their creativity as the actual photos of food became more and more ridiculous. This meme is particularly interesting from a sociolinguist viewpoint because there's no actual speaking occurring, but anyone in on the joke knows that speech is a vital part of the humor - this entire phenomenon is text-based, and yet intimately tied to the pronunciation of English.
Icelanders Seek to Keep Their Language Alive and Out of 'the Latin Bin'
Icelanders are becoming concerned that their language is being overridden by the English language. The current official language in Iceland is Old Norse. It has changed in incredible amount over more than a thousand years and is now a unique dialect. Nowadays English is becoming more prominent due to the tourism industry and devices with automated voices in English. Only about 400,000 people speak it now, and with the vast globalization Icelanders as well as linguistic experts are in fear that Old Norse will have the same fate as Latin. [Published on 04-22-2017]
Language Lessons Told Through Twitter
This article it explains how social media particularly twitter not only can change language, but can provide a proper input on the evolution of language.
[Published on 10-26-2012]
Dogs Are Doggos: An Internet Language Built Around Love For The Puppers
An article describing the evolution of "doggolingo" across the internet over the past few years. It does cite linguists as commenting on the trends. Comments on the lexical and onomatopoetic nature of the "lingo." [Published on 04-23-2017]
(Almost) Every time they say "BOY" on Monster Factory (Eps. 1-23)
Play videoThis is exactly what it says in the title--a clip show of every time the hosts of Polygon's video series Monster Factory say the word "boy". What is significant about the use of "boy" in this context is that it is non-standard. Most speakers of American English do not refer to grown men as boys in the same way that these same speakers refer to grown women as girls. Moreover, the hosts are both brothers, lending to their similar styles of speaking as well as senses of humor. I also included "internet language" and "slang" as tags due to the growing use of "boy" to describe grown men across the internet as the show gains popularity within gaming circles.
“Things You Do Online That’d Be Creepy In Real Life”
Play videoThis video draws attention to how social media has gone further than just coining new slang terms; it has created a new language with entirely different governing rules. It points out the significant differences in styles of communication between face-to-face contact and social media interactions. The most striking examples are the performative declarations that would seem strange if spoken in front of a live audience. Here we see just how easily we take for granted this major shift in our everyday life.
Twitch Speak the Language of Twitch Chat
This short article attempts to delve into the appeal of twitch.tv's brand of emoji language and how it has developed into its own language community that spans multiple continents. [Published on 08-08-2014]
Marketing For Deadpool
This photo is a billboard promoting the movie, Deadpool. As you can see, the billboard displays emojis. If you were unaware of the movie or did not recognize or utilize emojis, this would not make much sense. This displays how our language and communication has developed into the digital age, where we use emoticons to convey messages.
30 Trendy Internet Slang Words and Acronyms You Need To Know To Fit In
Do you ever read an acronym and have absolutely no idea what it means? Seems to be happening more and more lately! Especially with teens and young adults. Here is your key to internet slang! [Published on 07-15-2015]
The Language of Pokémon
Play videoThis short video illustrates how Pokémon trading card game (TCG) players comprise a community of practice with its own unique vocabulary. The community has millions of members and, arguably, has created its own culture and rituals reflected in the words that it uses.
Facebook Wants to Build a Glossary of New Slang
With the rise of social media in our everyday lives where traditional language conventions are not always used, there have been new forms of slang and internet slang coming about daily. This article shows how Facebook wants to detect the uses of slang on their website and create a dictionary to give meaning to all of these new words. This technology will attempt to predict cool slang words before they are “cool”.
How to Speak INTERNET
Play videoA group of three British guys basically put together a video "guide" to understanding all of today's internet slang. From "YOLO," to ""FML," they cover a handful of different types of internet slang and explain what they all mean in the non internet world.
Black Folks Slang
Play videoA black comedian basically goes through a handful of different types of "black folks slang" and explains what they really mean. He does this through a couple different ways, from using the slang in a sentence, to describing exactly what it means, to even showing tweets that use a particular type of "black folks slang." He also does it in a humorous way which makes it easier to understand and more engaging.
Key & Peele - Awkward Conversation
Play videoIn this video, Key & Peele use a sketch to poke fun at people they feel simply react to others instead of sharing actual views. Jordan Peele's character uses types of performativity, including drawn-out words and phrases, eye rolls, and looking at his friends while excluding Keegan's character to express his displeasure with Keegan's opinions on pop culture.
Luis Von Ahn- Massive Online Scale
Play videoThis video explains how one company plans to make learning a second language free. By setting a goal of translating the web into every major language for free, these researchers created the website Duolingo. Students are presented with sentences that vary in difficulty depending on their level of understanding. This program has found that students translating material are as proficient as paid translators. This could be a glance into the future of affordable bilingual education.
Internet Language
This article goes over the beginning unique language on the Internet. It also goes over grammar that is unique the Internet. [Published on 01-22-2015]
Hillary Clinton "Hispandering" Pummeled On Twitter
Play videoA news reporter talks about Hillary Clinton and her "Washington games." He mentions that now because of the internet, she is no longer able to continue the same political approach as she has in the past. He also calls her out on her calm that she is just like the Latinos abuela, and how far off she really is with this claim.
Dad Learns Internet Slang
Play videoA son is teaching his father words that are commonly used on the internet and seeing what he thinks they mean. It is very interesting to see how different generations think of these words as two completely different things.Throughout this video of course slang is being used but I think stigmas are brought up throughout this video as well. The refer to Justin Bieber as having swag and then describe it as, hat turned sideways, pants sagged low, etc.
How Others Interpret Slang
Play videoThis is video shows different members of society, whether it be by age, gender or race, trying to identify what different slang terms mean.
The Linguistics of YouTube Voice
This article focuses on YouTube stars, and how they capture a viewer's attention by changing their speech and accommodating to their audience. [Published on 12-07-2015]
How Social Networks Have Changed the World
Play videoThis video describes how we as a society have changed how we interact with peers and friends. This video also describes the change of how we acknowledge birthdays with those around us.
"We Talk In Pictures Now, But What Does It Mean?"
This article talks about the ever-growing form of image-based communication (emojis, memes, GIFs, etc.) in Internet language. As Montreal linguist and writer Gretchen McCulloch says: "as social life migrates online, visual forms of communication become increasingly attractive because they replicate some of the physical experience we've lost." This article presents a really interesting sort of dichotomy between image and speech, and even image and word (as seen on a page). McCulloch and Tumblr-based artist Kari Altmann imply that images are in a sense more natural to us, more so than words (which, in my personal view, I don't really see as that different from images? For example, how do we check to make sure a word is spelled right? We write it out and make a judgment based on what it 'looks like.') and maybe even (spoken) language. @_@ wow... such semiotics... (See what I did there?)
One other thing McCulloch mentioned was how ironic it was that it was technology that transformed "images" (religious icons, etc.) into "words" in the first place (printing press) but it is now bringing it back.
Anyway, really interesting read! [Published on 05-03-2015]
In defense of "textspeak:" A socio-linguist says emojis and LoLs are modernizing English
A description of some forms of internet language and how the contribute to change in American English. [Published on 05-04-2015]
Hahaha vs. Hehehe
A piece that muses on the different ways we portray "e-laughter" and how everything from the base chosen (ha vs. he) to the number of ha's, etc. or the number of letters used indicates certain meanings. [Published on 04-30-2015]
Are There Internet Dialects?
Play videoA run through of different internet communities of practice and different.
That Way We’re All Writing Now
This article talks about change in syntax on the Internet. More specifically it addresses the rise of subordinate clauses, leading to utterances such as "that x when..." or "when x..." as well as suggestions for their increasing prevalence. [Published on 03-06-2015]
Bandersnatch Cummerbund
Not reeeeally (at all) related to what we've been talking about in class, but I thought this was a really cool and thorough look at how we (or a generator) make "Benedict Cumberbatch" synonyms, and what features they often have to work and actually be funny.
25 Questions for Teaching with "Word Crimes"
Lauren Squires provides a linguist's perspective on Weird Al's spoof "Word Crimes," with practical suggestions for how teachers might use the video to teach important lessons about prescriptivism. [Published on 07-17-2014]
Word Crimes - Weird Al Yankovic
Play videoWeird Al Yankovic promotes prescriptivism online in his cover of the pop song Blurred Lines.
Hashtags are the new scarce quotes
the various stances that a hashtag can convey, including distance, solidarity, and sarcasm
English has a new preposition, because internet
A 2012 post on the "because + noun" construction