Morphology/Semantics

By Grace Roldan
“Cap”

”Why are you capping?”

Capping means lying.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

“Dry”
“Why are you being so dry right now?”
Means you’re texting someone and they’re
not being responsive. Texting only one word
responses. Not really into the conversation
with you.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
 “Slime”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwuXLEhPgcg

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

“Yo, that’s my slime over there.” Means really close friend. Like a brother. *has a hand motion
attached. Index fingers runs across the nostrils like wiping nose.
 “Stompers”

“Dang bro you got the stompers

on.” Means you’ve got new shoes.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND

“Drip”
“Dang bro you’re dripped out.”
Means you have a really nice
outfit on

UrbanDictionary.com defines Drip as

“Just another word for immense
swag.”
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
 “You got the ice on right now.”

“Ice”
Means you got bling, you got
diamonds on.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

“Glass”
“You got glass on.”
Means your jewelry is
fake.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
“Sus”

“Why are you acting so sus right now?”

Sus means suspicious.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
 “Op”
“Bruh I saw an op yesterday next to the police station.” Means affiliated with cops. Friends with cops.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

 “Tweakin’” This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

“Stop tweakin.” Means Acting out of the ordinary. Acting questionably.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ExtpnqbDWA
 Reflection
I had to change up the font on this one, so that my answers were easier to read.
I was surprised by the lingo that I observed. When searching up the meanings I found that some of the words originated in Chicago. The teenager I observed
is my 16 year old brother in law and the words chosen are some that he and his friends use in conversation normally. I did not expect such interesting
vocabulary going into this assignment and I found myself laughing at how much language has changed. Some of this is attributed to the music that he and
his friends listen to. My brother in law attends Glendora High School and I had no idea that this is how his friends spoke.
Teenagers are creating their own sense of identity. This is an important time in their lives where they are becoming their own person and defining
themselves. Through the use of this slang and lingo, these teenagers are letting go of the past way of speaking to their peers and initiating their own. I recall
similar experiences myself as a teenager and I am sure my parents thought we spoke weirdly as well. I, myself, picked up the terminology of my peers and
that which I read in books and listened to in movies. This is no different for our teenagers today.
Language is ever changing and we see new words incorporated into dictionaries as they become popularized. These expressions either become dated or
continue to live on through their cultures. The use of semantics in these phrases is what had me both laughing and actively searching for their definitions.
For example, when my brother in law used “Ice” he meant jewelry but I was thinking of actual ice.
I plan to use this information to understand and show my students how words change over time. I also plan to use some of it myself to make them laugh.
When I tell my students “Bruh,” they find it to be the most hilarious thing and pay attention to what I am saying. The same with the word “Sus.” That word
I learned from a Billie Eilish song and my students already used it, so they thought it was funny when I started using it too because I was incorporating their
language.
This assignment was immensely fun to do and I enjoyed learning new phrases that teenagers are using because I know that their young siblings start using
them too. I can use these words and their changes from the norm to teach my students about ever evolving language.
Resources
[DJ Smallz Eyes 2]. (2015, August 13). Edai Defines “Merch It”, “Tweakin” and Other Chicago Lingo [Video File].
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ExtpnqbDWA&t=9s
[DJ Smallz Eyes 2]. (2019, July 4). Lil GotIt Defines Lingo and Slang: Slime and Slat [Video File]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwuXLEhPgcg&t=22s
E., R. (2017, April 6). Drip. Retrieved April 11, 2020, from https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Drip