A Linguistic Analysis of American English Military Slang with Reference to Iraq War in 2003

Ahmed Muhammad Mahdi, Lect.

	A Linguistic Analysis of American English Military Slang with Reference to Iraq War in 2003
AL-AMEED JOURNAL
Article 1, Volume 5, Issue 4, 2017, Pages 19-44
Author
Lect. Ahmed Muhammad Mahdi
Abstract
This paper sheds light on no less important linguistic phenomenon: slang. It is a universal phenomenon. No language in the world lacks it yet it has received little attention. Any attempt to approach the slang aspect of any language, whether one's native language or a foreign language will be surprised at the level of complexity at all the linguistic levels recognized by linguists. Slang is a multi-featured aspect. It is generally characterized by instability, novelty, creativity, informality and even vulgarity. Despite all these, slang is fun to learn and use (let alone study) simply for the reason that it allows the user to express the same thoughts, feelings, emotions and attitudes towards a certain issue, situation or person with enormously various ways that suit his needs and goals. The sources of slang are too many. There are as many slang expressions as there are aspects of life. War is one of these many human endeavors. The contact between different people triggers a process of borrowing between the languages in contact. The ordinary people or the lay men are the quickest to respond to this kind of mutual influence. Teaching and learning languages should give some attention to slang especially with its widespread use in the social media, movies, streets and in places and establishments where the formal language is expected to be dominant. The paper presents a theoretical background of slang in terms of the linguistic levels. It includes definitions, sources, classification of slang. This background is used in analyzing a selection of slang expressions related to the USA war on Iraq in 2003. These expressions are collected from four sources. little or no attention has been given to the study of slang let alone as far as a very recent event such as the 2003 invasion is concerned. This paper is an attempt to bridge one gap in slang research. The analysis shows that formation of the slang expressions chosen for the study follow the same recognized word formation processes in English. Expressions borrowed from Iraqi Arabic have been slightly altered in terms of their pronunciation, morphology and grammar. These expressions are mainly used to maintain social channels of communication with the Iraqi people. The expressions have served also as verbal shortcuts especially those abbreviated.
Keywords
Slang; war; American military

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