Morphology/Semantics Activity

April Tilden
Los Angeles Pacific University
English 420 - Principles of Language
Professor C. Gentry
December 5, 2022
I was able to observe a group of young people during one of their breaks between shows at the
theater. One of my daughters is part of a ballet company and they are in the middle of
performing The Nutcracker in several theaters. There is a little bit of downtime between the
matinee and the evening shows. The average age of the group would be about 13. The words I
heard were:
● Bet
● Hits Different
● Fire
● Bruh
● Sus
● Stan
● Ghosting
● Sending Me
● Bop
● Sheesh
Bet
Used to ensure someone you are serious
and telling the truth about what you are
saying.

“I’m going to go up to him and tell him I

like him, bet!”
Hits
Different
Something better than usual or the
original. The preferred of 2 choices.

“IDK what it is about Pepsi with

Mexican food. It just hits different!”
Fire
Something that is very cool
or interesting

“That movie was fire!”

Bruh
A way to ask “are you kidding me?” or
“are you for real?”

Girl#1: Did you remember your extra leo?

Girl#2: No, I forgot it.
Girl #1: Bruh!
Sus
It means suspicious or another way of
saying something doesn’t add up.

“He said he would text me when he got

home and it took 3 hours when I know
he lives 5 minutes away. It was sus.”
Stan
Stalker + Fan. A super fan.

“I’m the biggest Taylor Swift stan.”

Ghosting
Ignoring someone, especially after
romantic interest was shown.

“We used to talk all day and now

nothing. He completely ghosted me.”
Sending Me
Something really funny.
*girls laughing hysterically at something
they see on their phones*

“OMG it’s sending me!”

Bop
An exceptionally good song or album

“Have you heard the new 21 Savage

Album? It’s such a bop!”
 Sheesh (or Sheeeeeesh!)
A term to hype someone up or get
them excited when they have
done something exceptionally
well or if they are looking good.

*Dancer does beautiful Italian Fouette*

Girls in excitement - “Sheeeeeeeesh!”
What did you expect going in? I tend to chaperone the rehearsals and performances because my daughter is one of the younger
ones and I don’t leave her alone too for too long (sometimes they are doing 12 hour days). I usually have NO clue what they are
talking about. Going in I was worried I would find out something really bad and that they had code words to cover up things
but in reality it wasn’t that bad at all. What I thought was their terms would be all about boys and dating. My oldest son is 18
and he uses some of the terms as well (mainly “sheeeeeeesh!” which is annoying, to put it lightly). It was entertaining to learn
the meanings of the words and think about the differences.

At the adolescent stage, the childrens’ identities are referenced and reinforced by the linguistic
choices they are making (Fridland, 2020). Between social identity and group solidarity is where the
mix of language and the young becomes the most powerful. It is in our teenage years where our
linguistic preferences and patterns get set, and where the new forms of language that will
eventually become the norms for the wider community are born (Fridland, 2020).
Having this information makes me more aware that the adolescent years are a time of
development not just physically but also linguistically. Knowing the reasons behind why and how
their language development continues at this stage is important to understand so that I can meet
students where they are. While I definitely won’t be that person who tries to “be hip”, I will be
able to relate knowing that I went through the same process and type of development. I can
encourage them in this way.
 References

Fridland, V. (2020, November 1). Teen Talk and Linguistic Evolution. Psychology Today. Retrieved December

8, 2022, from

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/language-in-the-wild/202011/teen-talk-and-linguistic-evoluti

on

Liles, M. (2022, January 2). 50 Gen Z Slang Words, Lingo, Phrases and What They Mean. Parade. Retrieved

December 8, 2022, from https://parade.com/.amp/1293898/marynliles/gen-z-slang-words/