Morphology/Semantics Assignment

Morphology/Semantics Assignment

October 4, 2015

This purpose of this blog is to discuss how words have developed over the year and how it is involved in the everyday life of students. I had to observe a group of children and listen to their conversations. While listening I had to choose 10-15 words that I was not familiar with. Once I had a list of these words I went to Urban Dictionary to find out definitions of these words.

Here is my list of the words I heard from my observation:

1.bae-before anyone else

2.slap-“tight music, something you can go dumb too.

3.grind-when an individual pushes his/herself to attain a goal.

4. trill-an adjective used in hip-hop culture to describe someone who is considered to be well respected, coming from a combination of words true and real.

5. fo sho-” for sure; yes; okay.

6. dirty-really good, awesome.

7.ham-going crazy on someone

8.get it-to go for something in all forms

9. dunno- short for don’t know

10. unicorn-someone that knows they are perfect

11. fleek-on point, off the chain.

Sentence

1. I love my bae so much he is my one and only.

This word means a significant other possibly a boy/girlfriend. Someone you put before everyone in your life.

2. Did you listen to that slap song man?

I used this word in a way to ask if someone listened to a good song.

3 I've been on the grind lately trying to pay my student loans.

When you hear someone use the word grind, it means that they are working hard to obtain something.

5. Fo Sho I am going to the beach today.

When hearing the word Fo Sho it would mean that someone is for sure going to do something.

6. Kane is dirty at jiu jitsu, he is ready for the tournament.

This word is used as a compliment. Saying someone is good at something.

7. That team went ham on their opponents.

The way I took this word in my own thoughts is that someone went crazy and not the typical way people think of crazy. Crazy and they play hard or worked hard.

8. Hey my little brother is going to get it tonight while at his game.

This word kind of through me for a loop as when I hear it I think of being physical. What is meant by the word is that they are going to go for the win or the finish.

9. I dunno what we are having or dinner.

This is just the lazy way of saying I don't know. Someone may use this as an answer to a question.

10. That girl thinks she is a unicorn but she is far from it.

This word means that someone thinks they are perfect and has no mistakes.

11. My outfit for the dance is fleek tonight.

I believe that this word means that someone is put together well and is looking good.

Questions

1. What struck you about the language being used by the teenagers you observed? What did you expect going in? How did your expectations live up to the results?

A.Honestly what struck me the most is that these words are nonsense and are silly sounding. I was at a complete loss for why these words have come about. I expected that I would be outdated and not understand any of these words which I did not. The results matched up to what expectations I have.

2. Why do teenagers have their own set of vocabulary? Be sure to consider the developmental stages of adolescents, and what is being accomplished intra- and inter-personally by creating a shared language.

A. I think teenagers have their own set of vocabulary so they can carry on conversations with each others in a way that adults cannot understand or jump into. I think this is their way of having their own "language" and it makes it easier to carry on conversations.

3. What comparisons/connections can you make to your own adolescent linguistic practices? Did you engage in similar language creation when you were that age? Do you see similarities between your development and the development of the teens you observed?

A.When I think back to my own adolescent linguistic practices there are no differences. I recall using words that now as an adult I find to now are a waste of breath. I cannot believe I spent time with friends coming up with or learning words that we all could say to familiarize ourselves with other kids our age. I think the similarities are close as in the development of children learning the words. They have heard the words in other places just like I did and begun using them however I think the age frame is a lot younger now as I hear my own kids who are younger than the students I observed use these same words.

4. How do you connect this activity (morphology/semantics in practical application) to your readings about morphology/semantics from a theoretical perspective? What principles of morphology/semantics did you observe? What conclusions can you draw about how language changes in real-life, and in real-time?

A.I think this activity can connect to the readings this week by understanding the word and where it comes from. If we cannot understand the word we cannot start to use it. Just like using prefixes, suffixes, and root words. If a child can no understand any of those they will not be able to use them. I think I was able to see how these words are used in word structure, how they differ from each child and their background. Language is a constantly evolving process and what may be normal to one person is abnormal to the next however it does not mean it's wrong or right.

5. How will you apply this information in your future classroom? Does this learning change the way you will approach students from a linguistic perspective?

A. Seeing how from generation to generation vocabulary changes this may have just pushed me to stay on top of the new evolving words. By doing this I may be able to comprehend my students easier and close that generation gap. I will not so much think of these new words as being useless or "stupid" as I thought but as their own way of communication.