An analysis of Slang Word Formations used in Wiz Khalifa’s songs

ABSTRACT

Slang is variety of language which is used in informal situation. It is considered as simple word or phrase which is ungrammatical. People use slang as their language since it as a comfortable way of engage communication, to express feeling, emotional, and experiences freely without thinking the grammatical rules. Besides that, they can exercise their creativity and imagination by creating new word and meaning or creating new meaning from old words with a new way. With slang each generation, group of community has a chance to shape and propagate its own lexicon.

In accordance with those reasons, the researcher aims to investigate the kinds of slang word formation and its characteristics used in Wiz Khalifa’s songs. This research is crucial to be investigated because slang is phenomenal and unique in which most people the world have been influenced to produce it. The researcher chooses song as the object of research since songs have special characteristics in their lyrics to construct the lyrics since songs have their own nuance and it potentially creates new words.

In conducting this research, the researcher uses descriptive qualitative since the data are in the form of words and phrases which contain of slang words. The data are taken from Wiz Khalifa’s songs. Then, the researcher made herself as the primary instrument because the researcher herself collected and analyzed the data directly by using Matiello’s theory. The researcher uses Matiello’s theory since she explains and classifies the slang word formations and its characteristics in detail. After analyzing the data, the researcher found that there are eight kinds of slang word-formation. They are Compounding, Clipping, Suffixation, Reduplication, Acronym, Conversion, Blending, and Word Manufacture. Then, the researcher found nine characteristics of slang namely Informality, Novelty, Obscenity, Desire to impress, Secrecy, Orality, Musicality, Playfulness, and Ephemerality.

By reviewing this research, the researcher hopefully for the next researcher should investigate slang phenomenon in any other areas which is not found in this research and to make the comparison with others theory to build up the theory and to get broader analysis and discussion. Finally, this research is expected to be source of information for others who are interested in investigating the research on the same field.