LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 22:6 June 2022
ISSN 1930-2940

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         B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         T. Deivasigamani, Ph.D.
         Pammi Pavan Kumar, Ph.D.
         Soibam Rebika Devi, M.Sc., Ph.D.

Managing Editor & Publisher: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.

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The Language of Netspeak

Dr. Danish Rahim (PhD)

Abstract

The present study is a descriptive linguistic study of netspeak. It focuses on three linguistic features which are (abbreviations, acronyms, and punctuation marks). Abbreviations and acronyms are dealt morphologically as word-formation processes and semantically as vocabularies by giving their meanings, whereas punctuation marks are dealt syntactically as appropriate to sentence order.

The main conclusions are summarized in the following points.

1- The developments of technology affect the language use in netspeak and many linguistic properties such as abbreviations, acronyms, and punctuation marks have emerged.

2- Participants in netspeak "chatgroups" have tendency and creativity to use standard and non-standard abbreviations and acronyms in their exchange to hurry their messages typing, save time, energy and effort, and as economy expressions to flow the exchange of conversations.

3- Non-standard abbreviations and acronyms are considered as new conventions because they are unfamiliar outside netspeak. They are considered as unique to netspeak only and are not used in offline writing or other formal situations.

4- Punctuation marks tend to be minimalist and sometimes absent in most 'synchronous' conversations because participants try to write what they speak.

1. Introduction

The present paper is a quantitative descriptive linguistic study of an informal online English in netspeak. This study concentrates on some situation of netspeak in their both synchronous and asynchronous situations. It focuses on three linguistic features which are (abbreviations, acronyms and punctuation marks). Abbreviations and acronyms are dealt with morphologically as word-formation processes and semantically as vocabularies by giving their meanings, whereas punctuation marks are dealt with syntactically as appropriate to sentence order.

The models which are adopted in the analyses of the data of this study are eclectic. First, Crystal (2001: 81-93) highlights the linguistic features of Netspeak which are: (lexicon, neologisms, blending, abbreviations, acronyms and punctuation marks). He gives a description of seven situations of Netspeak which are: (e-mails, chatgroups, virtual worlds (MUD and MOO), the web, blogging and instant messaging). He (2001:239) mentions that the studies of Netspeak are still in the earliest stages and it is difficult to find samples of data which relate to various situations on the net in which people communicate. Second, Werry (1996) sheds light on the features of one situation of Netspeak which is Internet Relay Chat in terms of addressitivity, abbreviation, prosody and gesture. Third, Baron (2008) mentions in her experimental study on her students many features of one situation of Netspeak which is instant messaging in terms of: "emoticons, lexical shortening like abbreviations, acronyms, contractions and punctuation". Fourth, Quirk et. al. (1985:1580- 84) classify abbreviations into clippings, acronyms and bends, and describe punctuation marks.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Dr. Danish Rahim (PhD)
Department of Linguistics, AMU, Aligarh
danishrahimalig@gmail.com
9012367974
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