Slay

Lowkey
Bruh
Game
Bussin

TODAY'S LINGO
SUS
Mid
No Cap
Basic
Rizz

Morphology/Semantics Activity

Marsha Nguyen
ENGL 420 Principles of Language
Professor Crystal Gentry
9 April 2023
 Why do teenagers have their own
vocabulary?

Teenagers use their own vocabulary to

develop self-esteem, sense of
belonging, and build confidence. By
having a language of their own, they
are able to bond in a way that not
everyone knows what they are taking
about.
1 2
 "LOWKEY"
According to Urban Dictionary (n.d.),
it means to keep a secret or don't tell
anyone if you did something.

I told my friend to keep it on

the lowkey about the party.
 "BUSSIN"

It means that something

taste really good.

The food at this place is bussin!

 "BRUH"
A word you say when someone says
or does something stupid.

Really Bruh, why did you do

that?
 "GAME"
means flirting or can be charming
towards others.

That dude has Hella game!

 "SLAY"
MEANS TO SUCEED IN
SOMETHING AMAZING; YOU
KILLED IT.

OH MY GOD, SLAY!
"MID"
LABELING SOMETHING AS
AVERAGE OR POOR.

THE FOOD WAS KINDA

MID.
 "SUS"
under the impression that something
is weird, questionable, or dishonest.

You are acting kinda sus right

now.
 "BASIC"

ONLY INTERESTED IN
MAINSTREM OR TRENDY.

SHE IS SO BASIC; SHE LIKES

PUMPKIN SPICE LATTES.
 "NO CAP"
NOT LYING; BEING
TRUTHFUL

THAT DRESS IS AMAZING, NO CAP!

 "RIZZ"
HOW GOOD YOU ARE AT
PULLING CHICKS.

HE HAS THE UTIMATE RIZZ.


What I expected going into this activity
was that I would be able to pick up on
the majority of the words they spoke.
The reality was that of the ten words, I
was only able to pick up on a few of
them. Some of the words, I was
completely off and had no clue what
they were taking about. For example:
no cap, I would have never guess that it
meant they were not lying.
identity, and control their emotions.
REFLECTION
Middle adolescence can be an
extremely difficult time for
teenagers since they are bridging
childhood and emerging into
adulthood. The desire to fit in with
peers can affect their interpersonal
and intrapersonal skills. By having
the power of communicating
effectively with their friends and
peers will allow them to build up
their intrapersonal skills such as
self-esteem, self-confidence and
“Oh my God”, etc. Which is
COMPARISONS
When I compare the language I
used as a teenager with my
daughter and her friends their
are some similarities and
differences. I would say the
major difference is that we did
not have social media or texting.
What I noticed is that they do not
take the time to use the formal
word, instead they abbreviate it.
Which I did to a point when I was
her age but it was not in casual
conversions.
Teenagers use morphology and
semantics in the words that they
created through slang. They take
the meaning of morphemes and
combine it to form a new word. For
example, lowkey, each word has its
own meaning but when they
combine the two together it forms a
new word and meaning. What I
noticed was that they use acronyms
not just in text but in conversions as
well. Examples of this were IDK “I
don’t know”, WTF “what the F”, OMG
something we see in each
generation. We all have our way of
speaking with each other whether
we use formal or informal
communication. It just depends on
who and in what context we are
communicating in.
 APPLYING IT
As a future educator, it is important to understand how
students acquire language. By understanding slang linguistics,
I will be able to connect with my students and understand
where they are coming from. This means that I will need to
stay up to date with the latest trends while speaking with my
students in a professional capacity as their teacher.

 REFERENCES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, February 22). Adolescence (15-17 years
old). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved April 8, 2023, from
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/positiveparenting/adolescence2.html

Newport Academy Staff. (2022, December 17). Middle adolescence (ages 15–17): Teenage
developmental milestones. Newport Academy. Retrieved April 8, 2023, from
https://www.newportacademy.com/resources/well-being/middle-adolescence/

Urban dictionary. Urban Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved April 9, 2023, from

https://www.urbandictionary.com/

Yule, G. (2022). The Study of Language (8th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9781009233392