美国俚语的产生及功能的分析大学本科毕业论文.doc

本 科 毕 业 论 文

美国俚语的产生及功能的分析
On the Origins and Functional Analysis of American Slangs

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Table of Contents

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………1
Chapter 1 The Definition of American Slangs ……………………………………3
Chapter 2 The Origins of American Slangs………………………………………5
2.1 Background…………………………………………………………………………5
2.2 The Classification of the Origins of American slangs……………………………5
2.2.1 Foreign Language Slangs and American Native Slang……………………………5
2.3 Language Itself ……………………………………………………………………6
2.3.1 The Angle of Linguistic Analysis…………………………………………………6
2.3.2 The Viewpoint of Semantic………………………………………………………7
2.4 History……………………………………………………………………………7
2.5 Culture……………………………………………………………………………7
2.5.1 A Variety of Sub-cultural Groups Exist…………………………………………7

2.5.2 The Infiltration from Asian Cultural to Dominant Culture………………………8
2.6 The Social and Cultural Conditions……………………………………………8
2.6.1 American Culture and the Diversity of National Character..........................8
2.6.2 New Things and New Concepts.....................9
Chapter 3 The Function of American Slangs................................................9
3.1 Social Function …………………………………………………………………9
3.1.1 Strengthen the Internal Cohesion…………………………………………………9
3.1.2 Adjust Interpersonal Relationships………………………………………………10
3.1.3 Maintain a Balance of Human Psychology……………………………………10
3.1.4 Reflect the Speaker's Position ………………………………………………11
3.1.5 Meet People's Sense of Renewal, Reflect Personality…………………………11
3.1.6 Overcome the Communicational Barrier……………………………………12
3.2 Refraction Function ……………………………………………………………13
3.2.1 Refract the Trend of Oral English…………………………………………13
3.2.2 Refract the Ordinary Life…………………………………………………………14
3.2.3 Refract the Attitude to the Reality…………………………………………14
Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………15

Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………………16
Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………17

美国俚语的产生及功能的分析

专业班级：08级 学生姓名：王彦峰
指导教师：李国云 职 称：讲师

摘 要 现代美国俚语是一种非书面性语言的创新，是历史和文化的结晶。简单来说，美国俚语是一种非正式的口语化风格，生动，幽默，创新和夸张等。俚语是客观存在的被许多人经常使用的语言，是词汇中不可或缺的组成部分，已成为及其重要的交际工具。但它常常留给人粗俗，轻佻的印象。实际上，作为人们交际工具的语言，本身没有阶级性。美国俚语发展迅速，它作为美国文化一种特殊的载体，具有浓厚的文化色彩。本文将从背景、语言学角度、外来俚语和美语土产俚语、历史，文化以及社会文化等方面分析了美国俚语产生的原因。另一方面，又将从俚语的社会功能及折射功能来阐述美国俚语存在的价值。它的社会功能体现在强化集团内部凝聚力、调解人际关系、维持人类心理平衡、满足人们的新鲜感，体现个性,克服交流障碍。它的折射功能体现在反映了英语口语的发展方向，普通民众的真实生活。同时它还折射出一种态度：人们通过语言而表明自己对现实的态度。

关键词：美国俚语；起源；功能

On the Origins and Functional Analysis of American Slangs
Abstract Modern American slang is a non-written language innovation and the crystal of history and culture. Slang is an informal colloquial style, with lively, humorous, short, innovation and exaggeration and so on. Slang is an objective existence which is often used by many people, and has become an integral component of the language and an important communication tool. But it often leaves a vulgar, frivolous impression to people. In fact, as a communication tool for people, it can not be regarded as good or bad. American slang develops rapidly, which has a strong cultural flavor as a special carrier.
This paper elaborates the reason of American slang origins from the backgrounds, Language itself, foreign language slang and American native slang, history, culture, the social and cultural conditions. On the other hand, this paper analyzes the social functions and the refraction functions to express the existence values. Its social functions include strengthen the internal cohesion. Maintain a balance of human psychology etc. The slang refracts the trend of oral English and the life of ordinary people. At the same time, it refracts a kind of attitude by which the people treat the reality.

Key Words American slangs; origin; function

Introduction
In America, more and more people are partial to using slang in their daily life communication and writing technique. In the past, people’s impression of slang may be that slang is rude, dirty, and indecent; but today, as a highly colloquial speech which has become the most colorful and vivid member of the family of languages. “The vocabulary of an ordinary America generally is estimated at 10,000---20,000 words…according to my conservative estimation about 2,000 words are slang.”(Chapman, R.ed.4) The number shows the important status of slang in American English, therefore we should eliminate the traditional bias of slang. Slang is popular in America because of its freshness, lifelikeness, humor, and it is an effective way of communication; at the same time, it also carries strong cultural implications of America because most slang words come from each sub-cultural group, which reflect their actual life. “it is impossible to acquire a thorough knowledge of English（or of any other language, for that matter）without being familiar with slang and vulgarism. Whoever is uninitiated…will be at a loss to understand many of the masterpieces of English literature? Nay…he will scarcely be able even to understand an English newspaper.” (Partridge.73)As it were, an English learner can not communicate with foreigners at their pleasure without much understanding in American slang. From this point, slang is a bridge for English learners to make up the cultural gap, so we should know and treat slang with a correct attitude. There is no such thing as good or bad, right or wrong in language. As a special form of language, its existence is a kind of outcome of culture and history.
As a highly colloquial speech, it is especially effective on casual and intimate occasions. The attitudes toward slang are also very contradictory among common people especially scholars. Nowadays, more and more people begin their research on slang for its widespread. In this paper, the author is trying to analyze the origins and functions of American slang from various aspects, such as history, culture etc. Firstly, the paper will expound the definition of slang, in the author’s mind, slang is like jeans which has been widely accepted by most of Americans. Although the jeans can not be worn into the magnificent party, it is pleasurable, comfortable, free and has been popular in the whole America even the world. It is the myth in the capricious fashion circle. Slang is the myth in the language kingdom just as jeans.
Secondly, the paper will expound the origins of American slangs. The author tends to analyze the origins of American slangs from various angles, include background, history, culture, etc. Similarly, on the functions of slang, the author will analyze the social functions and the refraction functions to express existence values. Its social functions include strengthen the internal cohesion、Maintain a balance of human psychology etc. The slang refracts the trend of oral English and the life of ordinary people. At the same time, it refracts a kind of attitude by which the people treat the reality. So the author wander more and more people can eliminate their abuses of slang and draw up how vivid, poetic, convenient and colorful slang is. A better understanding of American slang and some new and deep impression of it may be achieved.

Chapter 1 The Definition of American Slangs
What is slang? Slang is a special form of language, a long time; there is no uniform definition of the slang of the standard specification. As for slang, it is nearly impossible to be defined clearly and there has been different definitions and many controversies. We can refer to some of them to give us a special insight into our understanding of slang. Slang is an informal colloquial style, with lively, humorous, short, innovation and exaggeration and so on. Sometimes people will understand it as "jargon" (JARGON: an industry, profession, or similar groups in the use of professional or technical language, it is business-related), "code word" (ARGOT: the use of a particular group specialized group of words or phrases, it is crime-related), because the boundaries between them is not so clear at all times. But what is certain is that they are cryptic.
The definition of "American Heritage Dictionary" about slang is that slang is an informal game of words in a language, the basic existence is very short form derived words and rhetoric, they are deliberately used in place of standard terms in order to achieve a vivid, humorous or other effect; Modern English-Chinese of Oxford Dictionary about slang is that slang are generally used for friends or colleagues conversation, but not for good writing or formal occasions, the words; especially of a class understanding of idioms, such as military slang, prison slang.
The definition of "World Book Dictionary English" on the slang as follows: (1) slang usually refers to the popular new time is not long, vulgar, and popular word, phrase or meaning. Slang is usually very vivid and expressive, often used between friends in casual conversation it can not be presentable and acceptable in formal speech or article; (2) slang is a special language by some of the particular stage or class; (3) some slang are special language used by hooligans, thieves or belong to a movement; sometimes the language is an occupation; slang is black words or incision. "Langwen Modern Advanced English Dictionary " will be defined slang as "very informal language that includes new and sometimes not polite words and meaning, is often used among particular groups of people and is used, not used in serious speech or writing".
The more authoritative and objective definition is offered by The oxford English Dictionary, “language of a highly colloquial type, considered as below the level of standard educated speech, and consisting either of new words or of current employed in some special sense.”; In the face of many various definitions, it’s difficult to give us an accurate definition of slang; meanwhile, there is no criterion for us to distinguish slang. As a result, people have two very different attitudes, some people will think slang is the synonym of vulgar and unmeaning language, which is commonly used by low social groups and uneducated people, and the upper class should refuse using slang; another people may think slang is easy to say and convenient to communication for its free, humorous, relaxed styles, even some people hold that take ‘American slang’ in place of ‘American English’ for its popularity. The feature of informality distinguish slang from the standard English and writing language, the wide usage tells slang from jargon, cant, argot which are only used among some special social groups. Although many people and English learners tend to think slang is a ‘language wastes’, we can not judge that slang is good or bad just as we can not come to conclude a man is an angel or a devil. In fact, it is also hard to distinguish whether a word belongs to slang or not from the angles of linguistics and pragmatics. For example, ‘bread’ means a kind of food as a standard English, but refers to ‘money’ as a slang word; ‘sweat’ becomes ‘trouble’ as a slang word from its original meaning ‘liquid which comes out through your skin when you are hot or frightened’ as a standard English; Mostly, some words have two characters, they are standard English in some context, but express another different meaning as a slang under some given situation; this is the main reason for us to have no standard definition of slang, even in the authoritative dictionaries. Sometimes, there is a little distance between slang and other language forms. Anyway, our attitudes to slang should be tend to more objective, moderate, considerate, which is beneficial for us to have a good grip of slang. As for me, slang comes from the usual life, is the reflection and mirror of the subculture groups, the ordinary people, the special communities ; it is the products of social culture in specific period, the innovation of language speech; slang just like the jeans which has been widely accepted by most of Americans. Although the jeans can not be worn into the magnificent party, it is pleasurable, comfortable, free and has been popular in the whole America even the world. It is the myth in the capricious fashion circle. Slang is the myth in the language kingdom just as jeans.

Chapter 2 The Origins of American Slangs
2.1 Background
There is a long history with the introduction of language, also with slang, but the American English slang, according to research DICKSON, since the "Mayflower brand" ship. 1620, English Puritans took this ship across the Atlantic to North America, New World, in America's "Westward Movement", the formation of large-scale population movements conducted, thus, each of the local dialects and the jargon of various social strata, black words together up, people pass with each other. Because the U.S. government does not emphasize the "standard language", it's rare for "language purification"
Thus the usage of different patterns of languages such as the merging jargon and idiom and so on, became a slang used by Americans today. In the 20th century, the American slang with rapid development. The Two world wars, the Vietnam War, Korean War, the Cold War and other period have produced a lot of slangs, as well as continuing emerge social problems in American society, such as: racial discrimination, civil rights movement, family disintegration, the younger generation of alcohol and drug abuse, anti- war movement, sexual freedom, homosexuality even more the United States emerged as slang, like bamboo shoots.
As a communication tool ,and is rich and very dynamic composition in English language, with the development of society, some slangs as no longer meet the community benefit, no longer in use, slowly exit from the community in this arena; while enduring some still active, and slowly entered the ranks of the standard language. At the same time, the new slang could fill the gap like the mushroom.
2.2 The Classification of the Origins of American Slangs
2.2.1 Foreign Language Slang and American Native Slang
American English slang origin can be divided into two categories: foreign language native slang and American native slang. Early foreign slang mostly from English, this is because there is a historical source between American English and English. Then there are other languages to use English slang, but the number is small, the other is a American native English slang.
As the historical source between American English and English ,many of the early American English slang from the English. In English, the development of slang is closely related to the jargon, dialect