Behind the lingo – slang and the dictionary
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Kate Burridge
Abstract
This paper examines the complexities of slang, focusing on its ephemeral nature, unpredictable evolution and challenges in lexicographical documentation. Using Australian slang as a case study, the discussion spans historical examples such as James Hardy Vaux’s 19th-century convict glossary, modern slang innovations, as well as the results from a 2021 survey of 2,848 participants on “Aussie” terms. By analyzing linguistic survivors and fleeting trends, the paper highlights cultural, sociohistorical and linguistic forces shaping slang’s lifecycle. Technology, globalization and Australia’s embrace of informality further complicate the task of tracing and defining slang. As an embodiment of linguistic creativity, slang exemplifies the interplay between formal and informal language, reflecting a dynamic, ever-changing lexicon that lexicographers must navigate with increasing complexity.
Abstract
This paper examines the complexities of slang, focusing on its ephemeral nature, unpredictable evolution and challenges in lexicographical documentation. Using Australian slang as a case study, the discussion spans historical examples such as James Hardy Vaux’s 19th-century convict glossary, modern slang innovations, as well as the results from a 2021 survey of 2,848 participants on “Aussie” terms. By analyzing linguistic survivors and fleeting trends, the paper highlights cultural, sociohistorical and linguistic forces shaping slang’s lifecycle. Technology, globalization and Australia’s embrace of informality further complicate the task of tracing and defining slang. As an embodiment of linguistic creativity, slang exemplifies the interplay between formal and informal language, reflecting a dynamic, ever-changing lexicon that lexicographers must navigate with increasing complexity.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents/Inhalt V
- Zur Bedeutsamkeit der Lexikographie: Europa und Australien 7
- Regarding the Significance of Lexicography: Europe and Australia 1
- Australian lexicography and the Australian story: Historical perspectives and the current scene 15
- Warum brauchen wir historische Lexikographie? 31
- Zur Berechtigung historischer Lexikographie: Fakten und Überlegungen 53
- Signed language lexicography and the Auslan dictionaries in print and online 83
- Terminology from a lexicographic perspective 115
- Online terminography for Indigenous Australians 133
- The AIATSIS Dictionaries Program: Supporting the strengthening of Australian Indigenous Languages 157
- Encyclopaedic lexicography: The Warlpiri Encyclopaedic Dictionary 189
- Behind the lingo – slang and the dictionary 209
- People, machines and dictionaries: Is artificial intelligence killing dictionaries? 235
- Profilex: Kognitive Leistungen des Lexikographen und die Qualität im Wörterbuchartikel 259
- Dialektwörterbücher als Wörterbücher der Zukunft 273
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents/Inhalt V
- Zur Bedeutsamkeit der Lexikographie: Europa und Australien 7
- Regarding the Significance of Lexicography: Europe and Australia 1
- Australian lexicography and the Australian story: Historical perspectives and the current scene 15
- Warum brauchen wir historische Lexikographie? 31
- Zur Berechtigung historischer Lexikographie: Fakten und Überlegungen 53
- Signed language lexicography and the Auslan dictionaries in print and online 83
- Terminology from a lexicographic perspective 115
- Online terminography for Indigenous Australians 133
- The AIATSIS Dictionaries Program: Supporting the strengthening of Australian Indigenous Languages 157
- Encyclopaedic lexicography: The Warlpiri Encyclopaedic Dictionary 189
- Behind the lingo – slang and the dictionary 209
- People, machines and dictionaries: Is artificial intelligence killing dictionaries? 235
- Profilex: Kognitive Leistungen des Lexikographen und die Qualität im Wörterbuchartikel 259
- Dialektwörterbücher als Wörterbücher der Zukunft 273
