12-011-052 Tomohiko Ebashi
1. Summary of the lecture
We cannot stop language change from happening, as
long as we keep on using them. Slang words were used to be considered taboo,
but now the situation is different. Along with the development of new
technologies such as Internet, the usage of slang words has rapidly expanded,
and people of any age can enjoy its convenience in their daily lives. The usage
of slang words was often associated with the uneducated people, but now it is being
studied seriously by the linguists.
2. Three Japanese Slang
* Uzai(ウザい): A word that expresses that someone or something is annoying you in a certain way. This word had been originally used by some teenage girls who like to act cool, but now this word is becoming unisex.
*Maji(マジ): A word to express that you are serious in a certain way. It can be used in a question form to ask whether the speaker is serious or not. This is no longer a teenage word, but is very popular among many age-groups.
*Yabai(ヤバい): A word to express either a person is extraordinary in a certain way, or something is beyond your expectation. This word used to be popular only among the young generation, but now it is used by many people of other generations.
3. Why do people choose to use these slang instead of using proper words?
We usually use "uzai", whenever you want the listener to sympathize in your feeling of annoyance. On the other hand, we like to use "maji-de?" whenever the speaker says something shocking. This word is almighty, when you are wondering how to respond in someone's comment. "Yabai" is another almighty word, when you have difficulty in describing an object or a person. All of these three words are very useful for Japanese people, since we always have to "ku-uki wo yomu (= read the atmosphere)", tacitly. Usage of these words is one way to avoid breaking the ambiance of the conversation. In other words, we often use ambiguous words instead of using proper words with a definite meaning.
Tomohiko,
ReplyDeleteThis is Ms. MacGregor. I think got the function of these slang words exactly - to give space to the conversation when you are thinking about what to reply/comment or don't know what to say. They are updated versions of other standard words like なるほど、そうですか、and others. Thanks for your nice analysis.
Dear Tomohiko,
ReplyDeleteThis is Yusuke. I' m glad to know who use these three slang words and how to use them. I've never thought why those words are often used in our daily lives. By the way I heard several times that the word "やばい" is used in a certain case when people can't express something in an appropriate word.
I usethese slang words a lot of times instead of proper Japanese words, but I wonder what is proper words of these slangs.
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