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THE FORM, FUNCTION AND MEANING OF ENGLISH SLANG USED BY MEMBERS OF BALI HIP-HOP COMMUNITY

Yeshivia

Jurusan Sastra Inggris Fakultas Sastra Unud

Abstract:

Tentunya kita tahu bahwa Bahasa Inggris merupakan Bahasa yang kompleks dan kaya akan variasi gaya bahasa, seperti; gaya bahasa ungkapan, kiasan, jargon, slang dll. Sebagai salah satu gaya bahasa yang paling sering digunakan dalam percakapan sehari-hari, penelitian ini mengambil slang sebagai tema utama. Slang adalah penggunaan kata-kata informal dan ekspresi yang tidak dianggap standar dalam dialek pembicara atau bahasa. Slang sering dapat ditemukan di pinggiran kota dan perkotaan dimana banyak digunakan oleh kaum muda dalam bahasa harian mereka. Biasanya, pembicara kaum muda menggunakan slang sebagai 'bahasa rahasia' untuk berkomunikasi satu sama lain dalam kelompok mereka. Oleh karena itu, untuk mengetahui pemakaian slang dalam bahasa sehari-hari, penelitian ini mengkaji 3 pokok bahasan; menganalisa bentuk, fungsi serta makna dari slang yang dipakai dalam percakapan sehari-hari. Penelitian ini mengadopsi theori dari Chapman (1988) dan Leech (1974), serta menggunakan sumber data yang diambil dari percakapan terpilih yang dilakukan oleh beberapa anggota dari salah satu komunitas kaum muda yang terbentuk di daerah Kuta – Legian Bali, Bali HipHop Community. Dari hasil analisa data, ditemukan bahwa bentuk slang primer dan sekunder digunakan oleh anggota Bali Hip-Hop Community dalam percakapan mereka. Anggota Bali Hip-Hop Community juga menggunakan ke-lima fungsi bahasa yang diusulkan oleh Leech. Kelima fungsi bahasa itu adalah; ekspresif, informasi, direktif, estetika dan fungsi fatis. Makna slang yang ditemukan dalam data analisis diambil dari kamus Bahasa Inggris-Slang dan dianalisis berdasarkan teori makna dari Leech (1983) yang mengusulkan makna bahasa menjadi tujuh jenis. Ada enam jenis makna ditemukan dalam data, yaitu; makna konseptual, makna konotatif, makna sosial, makna afektif, mencerminkan makna, dan makna collocative.

Keywords:Bentuk, Fungsi, Makna, Slang, Bali Hip-Hop Community

  • 1.    Background of the Study

Language can be defined as basic verbal form of communication. Language is the most important aspect in the life of all beings.In daily conversations, people are always faced with language choices to speak. English is one of language choices to speak. English is a rich language that has many idioms, metaphors, jargons, etc. Slang is one of those varieties. Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker’s dialect or language.

Slang is often to be found in suburb and urban areas that refer to things considered taboo. Slang is used by all kinds of groups of people who share situations or interests. Slang is also known as street talk. Normally, the speakers use it as ‘secret language’ in communicating with others in their group.

There are many communities at Legian, Kuta-Bali, which often use English slang in the daily conversations. As we know, Kuta-Bali is the most well known tourist place in Bali that is always filled withtouristswho are either on vacationorlivingin the area itself. In regards to this matter, many local people are influenced by the foreigners in using English slang in conversations. Therefore toknow the use of slang in daily conversation, in this study, the writer tried to identify and analyze the use of English slang from one community at Kuta-Legian, named Bali Hip-Hop Community.

  • 2.    Problems of the Study

  • 1.    What form of English slang is used by the members of Bali Hip-Hop Community?

  • 2.    What is the function of English slang used by the members of Bali HipHop Community?

  • 3.    What is the meaning of English slang used by the members of Bali HipHop Community?

  • 3.    Aims of the Study

  • 1.    To identify the form of English slang used by the members of Bali HipHop Community.

  • 2.    To explain the function of English slang used by the members of Bali HipHop Community.

  • 3.    To find out the meaning of English slang used by the members of Bali Hip-Hop Community.

  • 4.    Research Method

    • 4.1    Data Source

The source of data for this study were taken from the selected conversations of some members of Bali Hip-Hop Community who live at Kuta-Legian, Bali.

  • 4.2    Method and Technique of Collecting Data

In collecting the data for this study, the methods used were observation and documentation. The data of English slang were collected from several conversations in different times and situations, i.e. during afternoon when the members of Bali Hip-Hop Community were practicing in a studio or during weekend in their leisure times when they were interacting to each other.

  • 4.3    Method and Technique of Analyzing Data

The technique of analyzing data applied in this study was qualitative and quantitative method. The data were analyzed to classify the form of slang based on Chapman (1988) theory, to find out the function of English slang based on the theory proposed by Leech (1983), to find out the meaning of English slang used by the members of Bali Hip-Hop Community using the theory proposed by Leech (1974). In addition, dictionaries of slang were also used to analyze the meaning of the English slang found in the data.

  • 5.    Results and Discussion

    • 5.1    Data Presentation

There were twenty seven slang expressions found in the conversations used by the members of Bali Hip-Hop Community. They are as follows:

  • 1.    OMG! After dancing all night I am really beat!

  • 2.    OMG! After dancing all night I am really beat!

  • 3.    I wastootired tohangout.

  • 4.    The party last night was sick.

  • 5.    I still don’t believe can be a winner of B-boy battle in Little Breakin’.

  • 6.    I saw your video last night, nice one!

  • 7.    I love your freestyle.

  • 8.    Yeah, I went bonkers at the time.

  • 9.    One thing caught my eye, you really have dope shoes!

  • 10.    It pretty helps you to look shining than the other fags.

  • 11.    Lol no. That’s mine. He copped it from me.

  • 12.    Lol no. That’s mine. He copped it from me.

  • 13.    Damn, what did you say?

  • 14.    Wow cool down man!

  • 15.    Come on guys we have to cut out and catch some rays.

  • 16.    Come on guys we have to cut out and catch some rays.

  • 17.    Yea, let's go to the beach and down a few beers.

  • 18.    I’m craving some foxy bitches in bikinis.

  • 19.    We’ll be the winner for shizzle!

  • 20.    We've nothing to worry about, we’re gonna do absolutely fine.

  • 21.    Just can’t wait to wreck it.

  • 22.    Hey Lil A, wussup?

  • 23.    Who’s your homie this time?

  • 24.    Yea I remembered him, the guy from Borneo Clan.

  • 25.    Hype man! I like it.

  • 26.    I get a kick out of the rhyme.

  • 27.    You do it like a real nigga.

  • 5.2    Data Analysis

    • 5.2.1    The Form of Slang

There are two kinds of slang; primary slang and secondary slang. Primary slang is the general slang, the pristine speech of subculture members; so it very natural to its speaker that it seems they might be mute without it; then secondary slang deals with the stylistic choice rather than true identification.

  • 5.2.1.1    Primary Slang

From the conversation spoken by the members of Bali Hip-Hop Community, there were fourteen of English slang found and identified as primary slang. Here is the sample of the data:

DATA

ANALYSIS

DPN.1

(PS/A1) OMG

OMG is the acronym of Oh My God. It is a generalpurpose exclamation. OMG is a general expression, mostly used in teenage talk.

DPN.: Data Presentation No., PS: Primary Slang, /A: Acronym

  • 5.2.1.2    Secondary Slang

From the conversations spoken by the members of Bali Hip-Hop Community, there were thirteen of English slang expressions found and identified as secondary slang. Here is the sample of the data:

DATA

ANALYSIS

DPN.2

(SS/W1) Beat

Beat is a slang word for tired. The word beat in the data is not intended to the true identification; defeat, hit, strike, etc. It has stylistic choice matter.

DPN.: Data Presentation No., SS: Secondary Slang, /W: Word

5.2.2 The Function of Slang Language

There are five functions of language; expressive function, informational function, aesthetic function, directive function, and phatic function.

  • 5.2.2.1    Expressive Function

Expressive function can be used to express someone’s feeling and attitudes which is focused on the speaker and writer who wants to express directly to what they are writing or speaking at the moment. There were seven expressive functions of language found in the conversations spoken by the members of Bali Hip-Hop Community, here is the sample of the data:

DATA

ANALYSIS

DPN.9

(ES/W1) Dope

Dope is a slang word for very good, excellent. It is an expression of amazement.It is a spontaneous verbal reaction from the speaker towards beautiful shoes the speaker has seen.

DPN.: Data Presentation No., ES: Expressive Slang, /W: Word

  • 5.2.2.2    Informational Function

Informational function is the function of language that tends to inform people. In this kind of language function, the speakers or writers give information to the listeners or readers.There was only one informal function found in the conversations spoken by the members of Bali Hip-Hop Community, as follows:

DATA

ANALYSIS

DPN.4

(IS/W1) Sick

Sick is adjective, used to describe something that is great/good.Sick in the data is referring to the speaker who informs the listener that the party was attended by him is great/good.

DPN.: Data Presentation No., IS: Informational Slang, /W: Word 5.2.2.3 Directive Function

Directive Function is used to influence the behavior or attitude of others, such as command and request. There were five directive functions of language found in

the conversations spoken by the members of Bali Hip-Hop Community;here is the sample of the data:

DATA

ANALYSIS

DPN.14

(DS/P1) Cool down

Cool down is a slang phrase for to stop being angry, used to express command to someone.The speaker gives an order to the listener to do cool down as the speaker wants.

DPN.: Data Presentation No., DS: Directive Slang,        /P: Phrase

5.2.2.4 Aesthetic Function

Aesthetic function is focused on the linguistic message itself and the speaker tends to choose words according to his/her desire.There were thirteen aesthetic functions of language found in the conversations spoken by the members of Bali

Hip-Hop Community, here is the sample of the data:

DATA

ANALYSIS

DPN.8

(AS/W1) Bonkers

Bonkers is a slang word for crazy, wild, hectic, etc. The speaker expresses his idea and prefers to choose the slang term bonkers rather than crazy/wild.

DPN.: Data Presentation No., AS: Aesthetic Slang,        /W: Word

5.2.2.5 Phatic Function

Phatic function is used for opening, keeping, or stopping communication line.There was only one phatic function found in the conversations spoken by

members of Bali Hip-Hop Community, as follows:

DATA

MEANING

DPN.22

(PS/AB1) Wussup

Wussup is slang abbreviation/ contraction of the greeting "What's up?”.The speaker used phatic function of language which aimed to keep the communication line between he and his friend opened, by saying greeting.

DPN.: Data Presentation No., PS: Phatic Slang, /AB: Abbreviation

  • 5.2.3 The Types of Meaning

Leech in “Semantics: The Study of Meaning” (1974) breaks down meaning into seven types, five of which are included in the associative meaning.

There are six types of meaning found in the data. They are; conceptual meaning, connotative meaning, social meaning, affective meaning, reflective meaning and collocative meaning. There was no thematic meaning found in the data.

  • 6.    Conclusions

After analyzing the form, function and meaning of English slang used by the members of Bali Hip-Hop Community in the previous chapter, some conclusions can be drawn.

There are two forms of English slang used by the members of Bali Hip-Hop Community in their conversations, primary slang and secondary slang. The form of English slang used by the members of Bali Hip-Hop Community is generally in the form of primary slang. It was found that fourteen expressions were identified as primary slangs. Then, from the data taken from the conversations of the members of Bali Hip-Hop Community, there are thirteen expressions found as secondary slang.

There are five functions of language found in the data taken from the conversations used by the members of Bali Hip-Hop Community. The functions are expressive function, informal function, directive function, aesthetic function and phatic function. From those five language functions of English slang, the aesthetic function was mostly used by the members of Bali Hip-Hop Community in communicating to each other. Thirteen expressions were found as aesthetic function in the data.

Based on the analysis of the meaning of English slang used by the members of Bali Hip-Hop Community, there are six types of meaning found in the data. Those are conceptual meaning, connotative meaning, social meaning, affective meaning, reflective meaning and collocative meaning. There is no thematic meaning found in the data. From all of types, the members of Bali Hip-Hop

Community mostly used social meaning than other meanings in their conversations. It is certainly, social meaning which was mostly found inthesensesoftheir conversations since we know, Hip-Hop culture is always related to the social circumstances and always thick withslangelementsinits culture.

  • 7.    Bibliography

Chapman, Robert L. 1988. A New Dictionary of American Slang. London: Harper & Row Publishers Inc.

Eka Pratiwi, I.A. 2004. “The Meaning Analysis of English Slang Used by Teenagers of Mixed – Linguistic Background”. Denpasar: English Department Udayana University.

Flexner, Stuart Berg. 1960. American Slang in the World of Words. Crowell Company, New York.

Leech, Geoffrey. 1974. Semantics. Hazell Watson & Vine, Ltd.

Lyons, John. 1984. Introduction to Theoretical Linguistics. Melbourne: Cambridge University Press.

Makovsky, M.M. 1999. LanguageEssenceof Modern EnglishSlang. Onyx, LLC.

Palmer, F.R. 1981. Semantics. Melbourne, Australia: Cambridge University Press.

Paltridge, E. 1947. Usage and Abusage: A Guide to Good English. Hamish Hamilton, London.

Pierce & Epling, W. David & W Frank. 1999. Behavior Analysis and Learning. Prentice Hall, Inc.

Rai Putra, A.A. 2003. “Word Formation Process of Slang Expression Used by Teenagers in Canggu Club”. Denpasar: English Department Udayana University.

Simpson, John. 1884. The Oxford English Dictionary. London: Oxford University Press.

Spolsky, Bernard. 1998. Sociolinguistics. London: Oxford University Press.

Trisna Pratiwi, Ni Luh Ketut. 2008. “The Form and Meaning of English Slangs Used in “Harry Potter And The Goblet of Fire” Movie Script. Denpasar: English Department Udayana University.

Ullmann, Stephen. 1962. Semantics, An Introduction to the Science of Meaning. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.

Internet

https://www.ahdictionary.com/ (American Heritage Dictionary).

https://www.wikipedia.org/

https://www.onlineslangdictionary.com/

http://www.urbandictionary.com/