Investigating The Phenomenon Of Slang Usage By Young Boys Studying At Intermediate Level Bahawalpur, Pakistan

Abstract

This study is the sociolinguistic exploration of slang usage among young boys studying at intermediate level in Bahawalpur, Pakistan. This study aims to identify and categorize various slang words used by young boys, highlight various sources actuating the use of slang among them, and explore their moods that trigger slang usage. To achieve the aims of the study, the concurrent mixed methods design was used. The WhatsApp messages served as corpora to identify slang words and phrases often used by young boys. Alongside, a personally-developed questionnaire consisting of both closed and open-ended items was also administered. The sample was purposively selected from two government colleges (for boys) Bahawalpur. The descriptive data and questionnaire responses resulted in the identification of slang words categories as per Yule’s (2010) Word-Formation Processes (WFP) and the degree of politeness/impoliteness they exhibit. The findings show that boys frequently use acronyms, abbreviations and other slang words in their oral and WhatsApp chats that are actuated by various sources like social media applications, friends and movies. Moreover, the study asserts for an update in Moreover, the study asserts for an update in Yule's framework of word-formation processes due to the emergence of new slang forms like numeric homophones.