History of slang

From nicknames, to “APES” and “APUSH” to the very acronym our school goes by, slang is an integral part of Samo culture. A culture of thousands of students from tens of cities and hundreds of heritages. While we all may identify as Samo students or grades, it is our language outside of school that differentiates us. Here is a look into the viking vernacular.  The spoken language is an ever-evolving collection of phrases and words, unique to each group of individuals from region to region and culture to culture. Within each community, slang terms - jargon used in certain groups and understood by the group members - becomes a part of the vernacular. Slang words show the attitudes of the group or subculture that uses them, appearing as a brand new word, a new meaning for an existing word or abbreviation for a word. Initially, slang was originally considered to be the language of foreigners and criminals, but today slang defines the way a society operates. Slang is a way of using descriptive or figurative language, often derisive and humorous used to describe activities, objects or feelings. No matter where it originated from or who used it first, slang has become an encrypted part of our culture that will be used and changed for generations to come.  It is difficult to pinpoint the origin of slang-use because it has existed since far before the written language was recorded; however, the first time it was seen in print was in 1800. Since the first sighting, slang has been a large part of the way historians observe the past. Through the deconstruction of diction, terms like “23 skidoo” in the early 20th century can be defined as exiting quickly while things are prospering, while “hep-cat” in the 1980s is known to refer to a fashionable individual.  Often used by the younger generations, fading away as they grow older, slang words are cyclical. Terms like “beef” referring to a heated argument or “getting the scoop” when hearing the latest drama are used commonly in modern conversations, but actually originate in the early 1900s. It is interesting to see words high schoolers use today over a century ago in preserved letters and diary entries from the teens of the past. In the past few decades, slang has become incredibly prevalent in music - specifically rap. The language of the common man is often rich with jargon and slang, and so it is appealing to young audiences to hear their own language in the songs they listen to. If someone listens back to the music of the 1920s, they will be bombarded with the jargon used during the time, allowing themselves to get a glimpse of the past through the language of the time.  While language is constantly changing, the terms are frozen forever in history, telling the story of each generation. Slang encapsulates the era, unique yet ubiquitous, allowing a look back into the times of the past.