美国俚语作为一种不规范的语言变体，因其独特的语言表现力，在现代英语中迅猛发展和普及，并在美国当代社会中发挥着越来越重要的社会功能。尽管传统的观念认为俚语与正式场合下使用的“体面”标准方言形式相去甚远，但在日常交际中爱用俚语的不乏其人。美国俚语主要采用委婉、比喻和夸张等修辞手法，新颖、幽默、富于韵律成为其主要语言特征。本文通过对美国俚语语言特征的深入研究，结合实例，进一步探究其与社会功能的联系。并在此基础上，具体分析美国俚语在现代社会生活中的巨大作用，以期发现其独特的价值以及对美国社会所产生的重要而深远的意义。
关键词 美国俚语 语言特征 社会功能7078
Title A Study of the Social Functions of American Slang with Its
Linguistic Features
Abstract
American slang, for its unique language expressive power, develops and spreads
quickly in modern English as an informal language variety. And it is playing a more
and more important role in American contemporary society. Though it is conventionally
believed that slang expressions are far away from decent social dialects used on formal
occasions, they are, in fact, popular in daily communication. American slang mainly
adopts the rhetorical devices of euphemism, metaphor and hyperbole, resulting in the
stylistic features of being fashionable, humorous and rhythmical. This paper endeavors
to analyze the relationship between American slang and its social functions through the
intensive study of its linguistic features, combined with specific examples. Based on
these considerations, this paper places much more emphasis on the important roles
which is played by American slang in modern society, aiming to illustrate its special
value and profound significance for American society.
Keywords American slang linguistic feature social function
Table of Contents
1 Introduction.1
2 Literature Review1
3 Social Functions of American Slang2
3.1 To Lighten Tense Atmosphere and Adapt to Complex Environment by Humor............2
3.2 To Relieve Pressure and Keep Mental Balance by Exaggeration5
3.3 To Reflect Social Reality by Irony6
3.4 To Promote Communication and Regulate Interpersonal Relationships by
Euphemism8
Conclusion.10
Acknowledgements...11
Bibliography..12
1 Introduction
Slang is the expression in a language gradually developed in the populace’s physical life
and widely accepted and used among a community of people. It is, in essence, the outcome
of cultural growth and technical evolution. American slang is, often colloquial
metaphor—term which requires of users some foundational knowledge, information, or
experience, to use only within a culture where parties must have common reference. Thus it
is not to be taken literally as its meaning cannot be understood from the inpidual
meanings of its elements. As a special form of language, American slang will naturally
reflect its culture even more profoundly and intensely than all the other kinds of words.
Nowadays, people use slang frequently in everyday speech and reading, so it seems more
and more important to understand at least the most common ones, which also helps English
learners feel proud that they are really entering into the spirit of the language if they do
manage to use a few themselves. As a result, this paper aims to draw people’s attention to
American slang, make learners understand much more about it through analyzing the social 结合美国俚语的语言特征探析其社会功能:http://www.751com.cn/yingyu/lunwen_4843.html