Blog #9: Slangs

Hello! I'm Nozomi.
Today I'll talk about slangs.

summary of the lacture
According to the lecture, slang is informal language which tends to be associated with particular groups of people and enables them to define their identity. Today many people use it because it gives their group a distinct identity from others in that it reflects the experiences, beliefs, and values of its speakers. In addition, using it brings them the personal benefits: it allows them to be desirable, master the situation, share social and emortional experiences, and have fun with it.

the examples of Japanese slang
1. 女子会 (joshi-kai)
     This means that women get together, eat and drink or exchange information. Therefore, only women use it. It is said that it starts in the meeting of only women which was held by the amateur models who won popularity in the Kansai(関西) district.

2. しまラー
     This means people who coordinate their clothes which they bought at "ファッションセンターしまむら." Today many young people use the shop and they use the word. It comes from "ユニクラー," which means people who coordinate their clothes which they bought at UNIQLO.

3. イクメン
     This is the word which was produced by the change in "イケメン," which means attractive men. This means men who are enjoying or applying themselves to child care. The word is used mainly by young people and media such as the Internet and TV. It came into existence from the initial letters of "イクジ（育児）　メンズ."

In my opinion, these slang words are short, so people prefer them to proper Japanese words in view of ease of use. In addition, "しまラー" and "イクメン" contain English. ("しまラー" contains the suffix "-er" which means human beings.) I think the fact is also one of the reasons they are used because containig English makes words stylish for the Japanese.

Blog #9: Slangs

Hello, this is Airi. This time, my topic is slangs.

1. Summery

 Slang is informal language which tends to assosiated with groups and helps define identity. It shows you're part of culture and mastery in expert area, and share social and emotional experiences.  And also it is fun, humorous and creative.


2. Slangs

Ria-ju (リア充)

 This is the person who enjoy real life. This slang was born in a notice bord on the internet and "the internetholic" people called them in that way as irony that they envied "Ria-ju" who live not the internet-life but a substantial life. And recently, this slang especially mean the person who has boy friend or girlfriend. So sometimes "not ria-ju (hi-ria-ju)" want their little unhappiness because of jelouse for example on Christmas Day, Valentine's Day, the day og fire works or matsuri and so on...


wwww

 This is the internet slang that is similar to "lol"  and comes from "wara ( mean laugh in Japanese )", then pic the first letter up. People use it when they find or experience something funny and want to make fun of someone. You can fine this sland if you check Twitter absolutely, and you can use it in the text message and SNS. And we call using it for growing glass. Can't you see "wwwwww" as glass?? Actually I really like it, because I can express my feeling easily by using this.
 By the way, few weeks ago, the moment I tried crunch down to pick up my tennis bag which fell down in the train, I completely sat on the old man's slap wwww  I forgot he was satting behined me because I was sbsorbed in chatting with my friends.


Fasting-boy(絶食系男子)

 There are herbivorous boys but there are also fasting- boy. Have you known this slang? They are different from herbivorous boys that they are not interested in romance. They are not gay but they don't think having girlfriend is not so important. So they use their money for themselves or enjoy their interests. It doesn't mean that other boys don't so, but fasting-boy can spend their time, money and energy more selfishly.
 I found this slang recently and I think it express a social problem that is a decling number of children or rate of marrige. "Marriage" was more important a few years ago than now, but recentely people who don't think should be married or should have girlfriend are increasing. And you can say same thing about women.



 By using slang you can tell your thoughts and feeling to others casually, and if you use them in the sentence you can convey your feeling with reality and easy to type on because of shortness. And slang born and become be outdated raipidly, so slang express the times. I think that's why some old people hate slangs that they might feel alienated being used "new" words though they already know much about their language.
 So I think slangs are important for us and we just attention to when we use it and shouldn't use that sometimes it is impolite to use.
 Do you like slangs?

blog #9: Japanese slang

   Hello everyone! This is Saori! Thank you for the nice lunch at 10/19! I’m glad to have great food and talk much with nice NzenB classmates! Today, I would like to talk about the summary of the lecture and the three Japanese slang.

1.    Summary of the lecture

      Slang is the language which is an informal speech among the particular group and identified the community of the people. And slang allows people to share the experiences. However slang are used by many people, they are not used in academic study.

2.    Three Japanese slang

    (1)  草食系男子 (So-shoku kei danshi)

   草食系男子is the men who are not active in love and has used by young people since 2008. The characteristics of 草食系男子 are they hate to fight, are careful by an appearance, love to cook or eat sweets and so on and they tend to behave like a “girl” generally. So they are thought as favorable by many women because they may understand woman’s feeling very well. That’s why 草食系男子is not only used to make fun of them.

    (2)  ピンキリ(Pinkiri)

      ピンキリis an abbreviation from "ピンからキリまで(Pin kara Kiri made)"  means from the best to the worst. This ward has used since the Showa era. This ward originated from the Edo era. “Pin” means “one” as dice and karuta, and “Kiri” means “end” as karuta. So “ピンからキリまで” means from the greatest to the minimum and from the best to the worst.

    (3)  歴女 (Reki-jo)

   歴女 is the women who like the history very much. This ward has used since 2009. Most of them are    interested in Japanese military commander of the age of civil strife. The characteristics of them are like to read period stories and remains.

 Most of Japanese slang wards are spread out through media. If the famous person makes or uses a new ward, it will be diffused by twitter or TV. So that Japanese slang is almost trend and it will become outdated soon. I think Japanese people use slang wards because they don’t want to be outdated. And they may use slang wards among friends to show off “I get on the fashion”. Finally, the person who don’t use the slang may feel uncomfortable to be with his or her friends, so I think this is the one reason that leave out are not perished. So many young men and women are captive to follow the newest slang.    

blog #9: Slangs

by Asami Yoshikawa

Hello everyone,  I had a great time in the lunch party with you guys. Thank you so much for planed it! This time, I need to write about my homework such as; summarize the lecture, examples of Japanese slangs, and my opinion why people use these slang words instead of original Japanese words.

(1)Summarize of lecture

From the lecture, slang is a language that using in individual group(i.e. uneducated people), and function of slang is to check understanding in the community and to refuse other community, however it changes rapidly. People use slangs in internet which is provided as new technology.

(2) 3 slangs

1. “～なう。”(I’m doing ~ now!)

 This is one of the famous Japanese net slang words. It was started to use in Twitter, and meaning is to explaining what people are doing right now, or tell people where are you now, or what happens you right now. I think the unabbreviated word of “～なう” is “～している、～の最中” (doing ~ right now.). also, there is a word that sound similar to the sounds in English word, such as “Now”. So the true meaning of “～なう” is related to a word of “Now”, therefore the origin of “なう” comes from “Now”!

Here is an example: 今、北海道にいます(I’m in Hokkaido) à 北海道なう。



  

 

2. 婚活(marriage hunting)

Recently Japanese people are viewing “delayed marriage” as problem so the currently matchmaking boom is launching. In this situation, people called hunting activity as “婚活”. The origin word is “結婚活動(marriage hunting)”. People thinks that people have to appeal others to get partner, so 婚活 is all act for marriage.

 

3. 三行半(letter of divorce)

When the woman want to divorce, woman thrust a “三行半” (a letter of divorce) at their husband. Usually, this word is used for divorce by woman, but true meaning of 三行半 is the letter from wife, and the length of letter was three-line and half – “want a divorce, the reason of divorce, and small greeting message”. Sometimes people uses the slung when they give up on their husband, or lovers.

 
 

People never uses slung words in formal situation like the formal document or public. If people use them, then that people will have a low rating. However those words are used in a small community only, so maybe another community member will not understand what it is. Moreover, some slang words are related with small community’s culture or trends so if people understand the slang meaning, then it will be an evidence that the person is a member of small community. Japanese slangs is a contracted from an original long words, or using other country’s language(i.e. English) as a Japanese words. So I think the reason of existence of slang words is to show proof that a person is in small community member. If people know slang, then people will open up to others very easily.