American slang Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American slang - Essay Example Within English itself, one finds several dialects. Amongst these is the American slang. The paper will explore the origin of American slang, its usage and the evolution it has undergone. The genesis of American slang dates back to the 17th century. Its origin was prompted by the differences in English in America and other English speaking countries. For a while, any word that was not found in British English vocabulary was considered to be slang. Originally, slang was considered to be the language of foreigners and criminals. This explains why the word slang was used. The word slang refers to a kind of jargon used by a certain group of people. Thus, the meanings of the words used are known only to that particular group. In reference to American slang, it originated from criminals and cheats. They developed what came to be known as English Criminal Cant. Its usage was mostly in saloons and gambling houses. Out of a possible four million English speakers, only a handful spoke the English criminal Cant. By the 18th century, children were taught to shun the English Criminal Cant since it was regarded as incorrect usage of English. This lasted for a short while. Slang was popularized through various ways. A play by Richard Brome showcased the first appearance of slang. Later, it was used in poems and songs. This way, slang spread across. The Westward expansion, the abolitionist movement and Civil War are some of the events that propelled the growth and spread of slang. There are several reasons why slang developed. One of the reasons as highlighted earlier was for identification with a particular group. Slang varied from school to school, professions and social classes. Another reason for the use of slang was for discretion. These groups, for instance criminals, wanted to be secretive about their dealings, hence necessitated the use of slang. Slang also differentiated people in terms of the regions they came from. One would talk and it would be evident where