Morphology

Semantics
Activity
BY: Marcie Gooley
Engl 420
Professor Gentry
April 8, 2023
 Bussin- Means that
something is extremely
great
This food is Bussin!
Bruh- Informal term for a
male friend or guy often
used in a from of address
Bruh! I was going to eat
those nachos.
Salty- To be bitter or upset
about something
Why are you being all
salty for?
 Karen- Demeaning term
used to refer to a white
middle-aged woman who
acts unreasonable
Why was she being such
a Karen!
Narly- Shocking or terrible
in a negative way
Those Oak trees are so
narly!
Sup- A greeting like whats
up or inquire of a current
or recent state of affairs
Sup! When are we going
to the store?
Dude- A man or guy

Dude! I wanted to sit in the

middle.
That's Fire- Crazy in a
good way, trendy, on
point
That's fire! Best ride ever.
Lit- Amazing, exciting,or
cool
Universal Studios was so lit!
 Side eye- A sidelong
glance expressing
disapproval or contempt
When I walked passed him
I could feel him giving me
the side eye.
Basic- A person who is
unoriginal
Why does he like her?
She's so basic.
Chill- Laid back or easy
going

I like him because he is so

chill.
 Throw Shade- To give
someone a nasty look
While I was in line I could
feel her throwing shade.
Woke- To be in the know
and aware of social
issues
I'm so tired of all the woke
people on tv!
Low key- Mild feeling or
keeping it on the down
low
I low key didn't like that
sandwich.
 What struck you about the language being used by
the teenagers whom you observed?
I noticed that when observing my teenagers that a lot of their slang words were similar
to mine when I was their age. I honestly didn't know what to expect going in, half the
time I don't understand their talk, but I related to all their conversations. I use the word
narly for twisted or if I see branches I say they are so narly. It was funny to hear my
daughter say the oak trees were narly.

Why do teenagers have their own group of

vocabulary?
Teenagers are trying to find their own way in the adult world and feel most
comfortable with their peers. Having their own language helps them bond.
 Developmental stages of adolescence
and intra-and inter-personality
independence, body image, peer relations, identity are the 4 stages of adolescence.
An intro- personality the teenager feels more comfortable focusing on their inner
thoughts and ideas. Intra- personality focuses on their self esteem and attitudes.

What comparisons and connections can

you make to your own adolescent
linguistic practices
When I was a teenager we talked differently than our parents, we didn't have cell
phones back then, so we would write notes to each other. So much of the same words
have went full circle I have noticed, some having similar meaning, other words I have
never heard before.
 How do you connect this
activity(morphology/semantics in practical
applicaton) to your readings about
morphology/semantics from a theoretical
perspective
The meaning of morphemes and how thye can be combined to form meaning of
complex words is what I connecter during this activity. I learned that slang is vocabulary
words, phrases, and linguistic usages in a informal way. This establishes group identity.
 What conclusion can you draw about how
language changes in real- life and in real -time
New words are borrowed and invented through out the years and come back around.
The meaning of old words drift and morphology develops or decays. Real time studies
focus on detecting change not in apparent but real time. The speech in different age
groups is compared at different moments in time. In real life is the usage of unique
words and uncommon words, these are used more in teenagers and their friends.

How would you apply this information

in your future classroom
Teaching and having the knowledge of morphology helps students acquire meaning of
derived and inflected word. I would have my students say words that they say to
eachother and we would break the words down to their meanings and see what else
they could mean.
Does this language change the way that
you will approach students from a
linguistic perspective

By convincing students that learning new word's definitions opens doors to the real fun
by spotting patterns in word usage, interrogating its shades of meaning in incorporating
it into one's own vocabulary (Schulten, 2021).

Schulten, Katherine. 2021. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com

Shanahan, Timothy. Reading Rockets. https://www.readingrockets.org