Functional characteristics of English-language computer slang

Мельдианова А.В., Богдановский Г.В.

doi:10.25136/2409-8698.2025.3.73376

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Litera

Reference:

Mel'dianova, A.V., Bogdanovskii, G.V. (2025). Functional characteristics of English-language computer slang. Litera, 3, 231–243. . https://doi.org/10.25136/2409-8698.2025.3.73376

Functional characteristics of English-language computer slang

Mel'dianova Anna Valer'evna

PhD in Philology

Associate Professor of the Department of Language and Translation Studies at Moscow Aviation Institute (National Research University)

125993, Russia, Moskovskaya oblast', g. Moscow, ul. Volokolamskoe Shosse, 4

meldianova_av@mail.ru

Other publications by this author

Bogdanovskii Grigorii Vladimirovich

Graduate student; Institute of Foreign Languages; Moscow Aviation Institute (National Research University)

Volokolamsk highway, 4, Moscow, 125080, Russia

ggreee_1@mail.ru

Other publications by this author

DOI:

10.25136/2409-8698.2025.3.73376

EDN:

UOHBIE

Received:

16-02-2025

Published:

03-04-2025

Abstract: The article studies the definition of slang, the origin of this term, its difference from jargon, as well as the functions and methods of its formation in Modern English. The aim of the study is to consider the functioning peculiarities of computer vocabulary, in particular computer slang. Structural features of computer slang, its types, productive ways of forming and methods of translation from English into Russian are also analyzed. The relevance of this work is due to the specifics and complexity of the functioning of computer slang in Modern English, to the peculiarities of the lexical units under consideration, as well as the lack of research papers on this topic. In particular, there are no monographic works devoted to this topic in the theoretical literature. The novelty lies in substantiating the role of information technologies in various spheres of human life, including the aviation industry and the need for a systematic study of slang units in the English-speaking online community. During the research such methods as analysis, synthesis, generalization, comparison and sampling, as well as survey, were used. As part of the study, a survey of students was conducted in order to identify the role of computer slang in the life of a modern person. The research carried out in the article allowed to underline the increasing role of computer slang in the life of modern society. If earlier computer slang was used mainly by programmers and IT specialists, now it is widespread among a wide audience and actively influences everyday speech, forming a new communicative environment. All this makes it important to consider computer slang, which consists not only in studying its vocabulary, methods of forming and translation from one language to another, but also in analyzing the social, cultural and technological processes that influence its development.

Keywords:

slang, jargon, professionalisms, computer vocabulary, abbreviations, acronyms, ways of forming, clipping, affixation, translation techniques
This article is automatically translated.

3. Its variant, computer slang, is one of the most striking phenomena of modern speech. Computer slang is a multifaceted phenomenon that combines professional terms, slang words, and even vulgarisms. Knowledge of computer slang has become a prerequisite for successful interaction in the information space and the Internet.

Computer slang is constantly evolving, being updated with new terms and expressions reflecting the latest technological trends. Old terms may become obsolete or change their meaning, and the emergence of new devices and programs inevitably leads to the emergence of new jargon. Thus, this specific language is a reflection of the ever-changing world of computer technology and its continuous development. Knowledge of modern computer slang is essential for successful work and communication in a digital environment.

References

1. Crystal, D. (2001). Language and the internet. Cambridge University Press.
2. Baron, N. (2008). Always on: Language in an online and mobile world. Oxford University Press.
3. Babakova, G. G., & Shirobokov, S. N. (2015). Computer slang. Omsk Scientific Bulletin, 3, 38-42.
4. Glazyrina, A. I. (2013). Computer sublanguage: terms, jargon, professionalisms. Chelyabinsk State University Bulletin, 24(82), 77-80.
5. Makarchuk, A. I. (2019). Derivation of Russian computer slang on the basis of English language. Actual Issues of Translation Studies and Translation Practice, pp. 104-108.
6. Bart, M. V. (2010). Pun word formation as a productive type of jargon derivatives (based on Russian computer jargon). World of Science, Culture, Education, 1, 54-57.
7. Arnold, I. V. (2002). Stylistics. Modern English language: A textbook for higher education institutions. Nauka.
8. Galperin, I. R. (2016). Stylistics of the English language: A textbook. Librokon.
9. Smirnitsky, A. I. (2018). Lexicology of the English language. Alyans.
10. Pie, M. (1984). The story of language. New American Library.
11. Ponomarenko, K. D. (2018). English slang: words, phrases, and types of slang. World Science: Problems and Innovations, pp. 213-216.
12. Khomyakov, V. A. (2009). Introduction to the study of slang-the main component of English vernacular. Librokon.
13. Suprun, N. P. (2016). The essence of the concept of slang in the English language. New Science: Strategies and Development Vectors, 118(3), 196-198.
14. Grigorova, N. V. (2021). Jargon, argot, slang: problems of differentiation. Young Scientist, 38(380), 60-62.
15. Sokolova, A. G., & Amirva, D. F. (2022). The use of slang: theoretical essence and adaptation to modern realities. Modern Pedagogical Education, 11, 242-244.
16. Gorelova, O. V., & Kruglova, U. R. (2022). Computer slang in modern internet communication. Modern Pedagogical Education, 1, 220-223.
17. Ageeva, A. V., & Dementyev, N. R. (2021). Web slang and the main trends of its development. Kazan Linguistic Journal, 4(1), 81-82.

First Peer Review

Peer reviewers' evaluations remain confidential and are not disclosed to the public. Only external reviews, authorized for publication by the article's author(s), are made public. Typically, these final reviews are conducted after the manuscript's revision. Adhering to our double-blind review policy, the reviewer's identity is kept confidential.
The list of publisher reviewers can be found here.

In the reviewed article, the subject of research is the computer slang of modern English, the relevance of which is due to the fact that slang has become an integral part of all spheres of human life. And although the problem of learning slang is not new, many linguists have dealt with it, today there is no unity in linguistics in the interpretation of this phenomenon and the specifics of its functioning in languages. As correctly noted in the work, "computer slang is used today as a means of written and oral communication by various groups of people united by one professional field of activity – specialists (computer terms and professionalism), as well as non-specialists (computer jargon)." The theoretical basis of the research was the work on the stylistics and lexicology of the English language, computer sublanguage, slang in English and computer slang by such Russian and foreign scientists as I. V. Arnold, I. R. Galperin, A. I. Smirnitsky, N. P. Suprun, A. I. Glazyrina, A. I. Makarchuk, V. A. Khomyakov, G. G. Babalova, S. N. Shirobokov, M. Pie, and others. The bibliography includes 10 sources, including three textbooks. In general, the bibliography corresponds to the specifics of the subject under study, the content requirements and is reflected on the pages of the article. All quotations of scientists are accompanied by the author's comments. However, in our opinion, the number of scientific sources is insufficient to generalize and analyze the theoretical aspect of the problem under study. In addition, the author(s) do not appeal at all to relevant scientific papers published in the last 3 years, which does not allow us to judge the real degree of study of this problem in the modern scientific community. The methodology of the conducted research is determined by the set goal and is complex in nature: general scientific methods of analysis and synthesis are used, a descriptive method including observation, generalization, interpretation, classification of the material; a method of cognitive analysis; a survey. In the course of the work, the authors summarized the issues of defining slang, the origin of this term, characterized the types of slang, groups of computer slang, as well as productive ways of forming computer slang in modern English. Special attention is paid to the techniques of translating computer slang words from English into Russian. The experimental part of the study consisted in a survey of 2nd year students of the Institute of Foreign Languages in order to identify the role of computer slang in the life of a modern person. The obtained results allowed the author(s) to formulate a number of conclusions. The results obtained in the course of the study have theoretical significance and practical value: they make a definite contribution to the study of the word-formation and lexical subsystems of modern English-language slang, complement the existing ideas in linguistics about the concept of "slang" and help linguistic and extralinguistic understanding of this phenomenon, and can also be used in courses on discourse theory, pragmalinguistics, lexicology. and the stylistics of the English language, on word formation and the development of the vocabulary of this language. The material presented in the paper has a clear, logically structured structure that contributes to its full perception. The style of presentation meets the requirements of scientific description and is characterized by consistency and accessibility. However, the amount of material is too small to cover the topic. The recommended volume is 12-50 thousand characters. The article is quite independent, original, will be interesting and useful to a wide range of people and may be recommended for publication in the scientific journal Litera after the above comments have been eliminated.

Second Peer Review

The article "Features of the functioning of computer slang in modern English" is submitted for review. The subject of the research is the ways of formation and functioning of computer slang in the vocabulary of modern English. The research methodology is based on the complex application of such methods as analysis of scientific sources, survey, conceptual and contextual analysis, data synthesis, systematization and interpretation. The relevance of the research is due to the importance for modern society of studying various phenomena of language: computer technology has become an integral part of our lives and has introduced a large number of special words and expressions into the language. The study of computer slang arouses constant interest from scientists, this is due to the constantly changing and updating composition of its vocabulary, the nature of word-formation models, and the experimental potential inherent in it, which allows us to predict possible ways of developing the language as a whole. The scientific novelty lies in a comprehensive approach to the study of computer slang and in determining the specifics of its functioning in modern English. The presentation style is scientific, structure, and content. The article is written in the Russian literary language. The structure of the manuscript includes the following sections: introduction (contains a statement of the problem); definition of slang and the scope of its use (the author provides the theoretical basis of the study, various approaches to defining the term "slang" are considered, classification of slang depending on the sphere of use is given; characteristics of general and special slang are given); computer slang: definition and types (the characteristics of computer slang are given, the author provides a classification of computer slang; illustrative examples are provided for clarity); features of computer slang functioning (the author describes in detail the functions of computer slang); ways of computer slang formation (the main ways of replenishing the vocabulary of computer slang are described); techniques for translating computer slang from English into Russian (attention is paid to such an issue as a translation of English computer slang, which is intensively used in other languages); the results of a practical study (the author analyzes the results of a survey of students about the role of computer slang in modern human life); conclusion (the author draws general conclusions); bibliography (includes 12 sources). Conclusions, the interest of the readership. The results of the study may be of interest to those who study various slangs, the specifics of their functioning and ways to replenish their lexical repertoire. In addition, the results of the study can be used when studying English in higher education to demonstrate various layers of the English language. Recommendations to the author: 1. The purpose, object, subject, scientific novelty and theoretical and methodological foundations of the conducted research are not formulated in the article. It is also worth mentioning the sources and the amount of empirical material. 2. At the beginning of the article, it is necessary to pay more attention to the review and analysis of scientific papers, the theoretical analysis of modern domestic and foreign sources is insufficient. 3. It is necessary to check for references to primary sources in the text (for example, in the part where the functioning of computer slang is considered). 4. It would be appropriate to provide more illustrative examples to support the theoretical speculations of the author of the article, as well as to accompany them with a translation. It is necessary to adjust the use of quotation marks in the text in accordance with the editorial requirements. 5. Data on the frequency of the considered word-formation models would be interesting. In addition, it was appropriate to demonstrate the materials used for the survey. For better clarity, the survey results can be presented in the form of a diagram. 6. It is worth increasing the share of domestic and foreign scientific papers in the bibliography over the past 3 years. The material is of interest to the readership and, after revision, can be published in the magazine "Litera".

Third Peer Review

The lexical composition of the language is changing and being supplemented quite actively and intensively. Innovations in science, technology, and public relations trigger the emergence of new words, phrases, and abbreviations. It is worth agreeing and recognizing that "the influence of computer science on modern language, especially on its lexical composition, is obvious," and "the spread of computer technology has led to the emergence of a large number of new terms and concepts that were previously known only to a narrow circle of programmers." Of course, the terms quickly enter everyday speech, regardless of the profession and the role of the activity. Computer vocabulary is developing noticeably, reflecting the rapid intensification of modern technologies, because "new types of software, new methods of data processing are emerging," and this leads to the emergence of new categories, concepts, and specialized terms. I think that the thematic limit chosen for the analysis is quite interesting, and the issue of evaluating "computer slang" is new and has not been actively considered in the critical literature. The author precisely formulated the purpose and objectives of the research, and noted the so-called linguistic base: "The purpose of the article is to analyze the specifics of computer vocabulary, in particular computer slang, as a linguistic phenomenon that has a significant impact on language development. The object of research in this article is computer slang in modern English. The subject of the research is the structure of English computer slang, its origin, development, and functioning features. The volume of empirical material amounted to 100 lexical units. The sources of the material were forums and communities of IT specialists, technical blogs, computer games, social networks and messengers," etc. The work has a solid look, the general requirements for scientific articles are met. The research methodology correlates with a number of relevant principles of natural language system analysis. In my opinion, the review of critical research, which is a kind of standard for such research, is well-balanced. The author notes that "the work of both foreign and Russian linguists is devoted to the study of computer slang. Foreign researchers include the work of scientists who study changes in the English language caused by digital technologies, such as British linguist David Crystal [1] and American linguist Naomi S. Baron [2]. Among Russian scientists, the study of computer slang was carried out by G.G. Babalova [3], A.I. Glazyrina [4], A.I. Makarchuk [5], M.V. Barth [6] and others"; as we can see, the version of references and citations has been verified. The style of work correlates with the scientific type itself. For example, "there are several versions of the origin of the term in question in the linguistic literature. According to one of them, this term originated from the word "sling", meaning "to hurl", "to throw". According to another theory, the term "slang" comes from the word "slanguage", which is an abbreviated form of the phrase "thieves’ language", which means thieves' jargon. Thus, initially this term dealt with a special language used in the criminal environment," or "the difference between slang and argot lies in its artificial nature and function of conspiracy. Professionalism refers to words used by small groups of people who share a common profession. In reverse slang, the word is pronounced backwards, and in the case of rhymed slang, individual words are replaced by rhymed analogues," etc. Factual errors as such have not been identified, special editing of the text is unnecessary. The paper differentiates the main types of computer slang, gives definitions, indicates the limit of functioning, and methods of education. There are enough examples to illustrate the topic: "initial abbreviations, i.e. abbreviations formed by adding initial letters, prevail among slang units: "FAQ (frequently asked questions)" - "frequently asked questions", "AFK (away from keyboard)" - "moved away", "APM (Actions per Minute)" - "actions per minute", "ISP (Internet Service Provider)" - "Internet Service Provider", "GG (good game)" - "good game", "WP (well played)" - "well played", "VPN (Virtual Private Network)" - "virtual the private network "etc.", etc., deserves special attention to the section of the article in which "techniques for translating computer slang" are indicated; this block is openly practical in nature. In general, the article is full-fledged, holistic; the topic of the work is disclosed, the tasks set are solved. The author concludes with the thesis that "computer slang is constantly evolving, replenished with new terms and expressions reflecting the latest technological trends. Old terms may become obsolete or change their meaning, and the emergence of new devices and programs inevitably leads to the emergence of new jargon. Thus, this specific language is a reflection of the ever-changing world of computer technology and its continuous development. Knowledge of modern computer slang is essential for successful work and communication in a digital environment." The available volume of bibliographic sources is sufficient. I recommend the peer-reviewed article "Features of the functioning of computer slang in modern English" for open publication in the journal "Litera".

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