Gen Z Language & Harry Potter

In-class presentation

Transcript

1. By Laura Dilz, Yen Nhi Nguyen & Julia Kruzel
   GEN Z LANGUAGE & HARRY POTTER
   

   View Slide

2. Outline
   01
   RQ & Method
   Examples
   02
   Comparison & Analysis
   Conclusion
   03
   Future Outlook
   04
   TABLE OF CONTENT
   Sources
   05
   

   View Slide

3. 01
   Project Outline
   

   View Slide

4. OED: ‘Generation Z’
   Generation Y/Millennials: early 1980s and mid 1990s
   Generation Z:
   “The generation of people born between the late 1990s and early 2010s
   and following Generation Y, noted in particular as the first generation
   to grow up in the era of widespread use of digital technology (esp. the
   internet and social media)”
   Generation Alpha: from 2010 (McCrindle, 2009)
   

   View Slide

5. Project Goal
   ➔ What kind of linguistic changes is YL going through today?
   Use of abbreviations
   New vocabulary
   Changes in grammar
   Spelling distortion
   ➔ Where did those changes originate from?
   

   View Slide

6. Research Question
   How does ‘literary standard language’ and its linguistic features in Harry
   Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone change under the influence of
   Generation Z’s internet culture?
   

   View Slide

7. Method
   Harry Potter
   and the
   Philosopher’s
   Stone
   Gen Z
   Adaptation
   

   View Slide

8. Harry Potter
   and the
   Philosopher’s
   Stone
   Gen Z
   Adaptation
   close reading
   side-by-side comparison
   Method
   

   View Slide

9. TEXT EXAMPLES
   02
   Comparison & Analysis
   

   View Slide

10. Text Examples
    ‘At half past eight, Mr Dursley picked up
    his briefcase , pecked Mrs Dursley on the
    cheek and tried to kiss Dudley goodbye
    but missed, because Dudley was now
    having a tantrum and throwing his cereal
    at the walls. “Little tyke,” chortled Mr
    Dursley as he left the house. He got into
    his car and backed out of number four’s
    drive.
    At half past eight, Mr. Dursley snatched
    his briefcase, pecked miss girl on the
    cheek and took a fat L tryna kiss Dudley
    goodbye cause he was too busy bitching
    and yeeting his cereal at the walls. "Little
    tyke," loled Mr. Dursley as he got tf outta
    there. He got in his car and skirrted out
    the driveway.
    

    View Slide

11. Abbreviations
    Reasons why Abbreviations are so common in Gen Z language: (Squires, 2010)
    1. Efficiency
    2. Imitating face-to-face interactions
    3. Group identity
    4. Challenge traditional norms
    Tf → the fuck LOL
    → laughing out loud
    Abbreviation: Initialism Abbreviation:
    Acronym/Initialism
    "Little tyke," loled Mr. Dursley as he got tf outta there.”
    

    View Slide

12. Use of New Vocabulary
    Bitching
    Urban dictionary:
    Excessive complaining without a specific
    reason and without the will to change
    something.
    Word Formation:
    Noun "bitch" → Derogatory term for a woman
    Suffix "-ing" → Verbing = Creation of a verb from a
    noun
    Swear Words:
    a) Offend and abuse,
    b) entertain and create humour,
    c) can function as intensifiers.
    Trends:
    → Gendered language gets replaced with gender-
    neutral language (WP Company, 2019)
    → Swearing is becoming more common in English
    literary language because of the influence of youth
    language (Love, 2021)
    "(...) he was too busy bitching and yeeting
    his cereal at the walls.”
    

    View Slide

13. Use of New Vocabulary: Swear Words
    

    View Slide

14. Use of New Vocabulary: Yeet
    

    View Slide

15. Use of New Vocabulary
    Yeeting
    Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
    1) Interjection: used to express surprise,
    approval, or excited enthusiasm
    1) Verb: to throw especially with force
    and without regard for the thing being
    thrown
    Popularized through social media:
    → interconnectedness of youths allows for
    faster creation and spreading of new
    vocabulary
    Conversion / Zero-Derivation
    - common process in youth language
    (Valera, 2023)
    - word changes its grammatical category
    without any changes to its form
    Noun “yeet” → Verb “to yeet
    

    View Slide

16. TEXT EXAMPLES
    ‘Mr. Dursley was adulting at a firm
    called Grunnings that made drills. He
    was a dummy thiccc (w/ three Cs) man
    with basically no neck, tho he had an
    absolute unit of a mustache. Mrs.
    Dursley was a Karen with zero chill and
    had hella neck, which was real useful for
    highkey stalking her neighbors and not
    minding her own.The Dursleys had a lil
    son called Dudley who they really
    thought was the main character.’
    ‘Mr Dursley was the director of a firm
    called Grunnings, which made drills. He
    was a big, beefy man with hardly any
    neck, although he did have a very large
    moustache. Mrs Dursley was thin and
    blonde and had nearly twice the usual
    amount of neck, which came in very
    useful as she spent so much of her time
    craning over garden fences, spying on the
    neighbours. The Dursleys had a small son
    called Dudley and in their opinion there
    was no finer boy anywhere.’
    

    View Slide

17. TEXT EXAMPLE - ‘DUMMY THICC’
    ‘He was a dummy thiccc (w/ three Cs) man (...)’
    Urban Dictionary:
    ‘when your thick with three c's, you know you
    really got them curves, referring to a usually
    black female with curves’
    ‘Dummy thicc’ →
    ‘When it’s thicc but, like more than just regular
    thicc, like really really thicc’
    Slang Dictionary:
    ‘Thicc is a slang term for a full-figured body,
    specifically a big butt and curvy waist. It is
    both used sexually and humorously.’
    ➔ derived from the English noun
    ‘thickness’
    ➔ Originated from the 1990’s black
    culture
    ➔ black slang for describing a sexually
    attractive, curvaceous woman
    ➔ since early 2000s: deliberately
    misspelled online as thicc
    ➔ Clipping to simplify expressions
    (Hoffman, 2021)
    Type of slang Occurrences Percentage
    Acronym 14 28%
    Imitative 12 24%
    Flippant 9 18%
    Clipping 8 16%
    Fresh &
    Creative
    7 14%
    Total 50 100%
    

    View Slide

18. TEXT EXAMPLE - ‘ADULTING’ ’
    ‘Mr. Dursley was adulting at a firm called Grunnings that made drills.’
    Cambridge Dictionary:
    noun [ U ], informal
    actions and behaviour that are considered
    typical of adults, not children young
    people:
    ‘Why is adulting so hard?’
    ‘Adulting includes things like keeping
    your home clean and paying bills.’
    ➔ Here: Substitute for working
    ➔ not particularly a youth language
    but usage has increased
    

    View Slide

19. TEXT EXAMPLE - ‘ADULTING’ ’
    ‘Mr. Dursley was adulting at a firm called Grunnings that made drills.’
    

    View Slide

20. TEXT EXAMPLE - ‘KAREN’ & ‘ZERO CHILL’
    ‘Mrs. Dursley was a Karen with zero chill (...).’
    Urban Dictionary:
    Karen
    Middle aged woman, typically blonde, makes
    solutions to others' problems an inconvenience
    to her although she isn't even remotely
    affected.
    ‘Karen refuses to wear a face mask for her 5
    minute trip to the supermarket during a
    pandemic. She harasses the workers, asks to
    see the manager and threatens to sue.’
    Urban dictionary:
    Zero chill
    1. When one looses the ability to look calm.
    2. When one doesn't care about anything.
    Go talk to him, Jo.
    I can't Naomi, I have zero chill
    ‘Did you just punch that old man? I swear, you
    have zero chill, bro’
    

    View Slide

21. TEXT EXAMPLE - ‘KAREN’ & ‘ZERO CHILL’
    

    View Slide

22. TEXT EXAMPLE - ‘LIL’ & ‘MAIN CHARACTER’
    ‘The Dursleys had a lil son called Dudley who they really thought was the main character.’
    Slang Dictionary:
    li’l (or lil or lil’)
    ‘Li’l is an abbreviation of the word little. It’s often
    used in names or titles to emphasize youth or
    physical size.’
    Main character (syndrom)
    Urban Dictionary:
    ‘When someone thinks they are the main
    character of their life. Usually comes with a side
    of individuality complex, quirky style and a self
    centered point of view.’
    Psychology today:
    ‘Main character syndrome is when somebody
    presents, or imagines, themself as the lead in a
    sort of fictional version of their life.’
    

    View Slide

23. Urban Dictionary:
    ‘Hard to define, it's a complimentary or derogatory term
    depending on usage. It can refer to a person as someone that
    is cool, tall, muscular, strong, or a friend (synonym: dude). It
    can also refer to a penis or someone that is negatively
    referred to as a penis’
    TEXT EXAMPLE - ‘UNIT’
    ‘(...) tho he had an absolute unit of a mustache.’
    Cambridge Dictionary:
    ‘a single thing or a separate part of something larger:
    “Each unit of the text book focuses on a different
    grammar point.”’
    informal: a person or thing that is very large and
    impressive:
    ‘I'm delighted he's playing. He's definitely a unit.’
    

    View Slide

24. TEXT EXAMPLE
    ‘And some lowkey tea, tea abt the
    Potters. Mrs. Dursley came into the
    living room carrying two cups of actual
    tea. This ain't it. He'd have to spill the
    tea. He cleared his throat, all nervous.
    "Er - Petunia, dear - ur still ghosting
    your sister, right?”’
    ‘And a whisper, a whisper about the
    Potters. Mrs Dursley came into the
    living-room carrying two cups of tea. It
    was no good. He’d have to say
    something to her. He cleared his throat
    nervously. “Er – Petunia, dear – you
    haven’t heard from your sister lately,
    have you?”’
    

    View Slide

25. TEXT EXAMPLE - ‘LOWKEY’/’’HIGHKEY’ & ‘ABT’
    ‘highkey stalking her neighbors’ ; ‘And some lowkey tea, tea abt the Potters.’
    ABT
    ‘ABT is an abbreviation of the word about.’
    Urban dictionary:
    ‘abt’
    ● Abbreviation of the word about
    ● Acronym
    ● Used in online chatting context
    Cambridge dictionary:
    ‘Low-key’ (Adjectiv)
    A low-key event is quiet and without a great show
    of excitement:
    The wedding was a low-key affair, with fewer
    than 30 people attending.
    Urban dictionary:
    ‘Lowkey/Highkey’
    Lowkey: to express a feeling or desire without
    coming on too strong
    He’s low-key cute, but I’m keeping my options open
    Highkey: opposite of lowkey
    I high-key want to buy these shoes
    Type of slang Occurrences Percentage
    Acronym 14 28%
    Imitative 12 24%
    Flippant 9 18%
    Clipping 8 16%
    Fresh &
    Creative
    7 14%
    Total 50 100%
    

    View Slide

26. Text Example - ‘Tea’
    Urban Dictionary:
    when one tells an especially juicy bit of
    gossip
    "Girl, did you know Renee is having
    ANOTHER baby? And the baby daddy is
    the same guy who she found out has been
    cheating on her!"
    "OMG, spill the tea on that drama!"
    ● originates from Black
    American drag culture
    ● popularized by the TV show
    ● contains a double meaning
    (Yusuf, 2023)
    ‘And some lowkey tea, tea abt the Potters. (...) He'd have to spill the tea.’
    

    View Slide

27. View Slide

28. Type Freq
    bitches 13
    tea 13
    tf 12
    sus 10
    skirrted 8
    yeeted 8
    bitch 7
    tbh 7
    highkey 4
    Type Freq
    bitching 3
    ghosting 3
    girlboss 3
    spill 3
    L 2
    loled 2
    ppl 2
    skirrting 2
    unit 2
    Type Freq
    adulting 1
    bitchy 1
    dummy 1
    girlbossed 1
    girlbossing 1
    girlbosss 1
    karen 1
    thiccc 1
    yeeting 1
    Statistics - AntConc
    

    View Slide

29. CONCLUSION
    03
    Pro and Contra
    

    View Slide

30. CONCLUSION
    ➔ Language is always changing, evolving, and adapting to the need of its users
    ◆ Technological aspect of Gen Z’s upbringing accelerates this process
    ➔ People are especially creative when it comes to language
    ➔ Addition of many foreign words
    ➔ Potential language barrier between generations
    

    View Slide

31. FUTURE OUTLOOK
    04
    

    View Slide

32. FUTURE OUTLOOK
    ➔ Prejudices against new varieties have always been around
    ➔ Code switching
    ➔ People grow more linguistically conservative as they age
    Examples:
    1. Pronouncing gerunds
    - Jumping → Jumpin
    1. Use of the quotative like declines
    

    View Slide

33. ““Standard” language and “correct” spelling are collective agreements,
    not eternal truths, and collective agreements can change.”
    - McCulloch, 2020
    FUTURE OUTLOOK
    

    View Slide

34. THANKS!
    

    View Slide

35. sources
    Abt. (n.d.-a). In Urban Dictionary. Retrieved May 7, 2023, from https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=abt
    Black, A. (2022, May 17). ’Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (explicit Gen Z edit)’—Hogwarts Library | Hogwarts is Here. Hogwarts
    Is Here. https://www.hogwartsishere.com/library/book/26702/
    BuzzFeedVideo (Director). (2020, September 23). The Origin Of The Karen Meme.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSXoBtmtypg
    Generation Z, n. (n.d.). In OED Online. Oxford University Press. Retrieved May 7, 2023, from
    https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/86200773?
    Highkey. (n.d.-b). In Urban Dictionary. Retrieved May 7, 2023, from https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=highkey
    Hoffman, I. (2021, January 19). THICC meaning & origin. Dictionary.com. https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/thicc/#
    SQUIRES, L. (2010). Enregistering internet language. Language in Society, 39(4), 457–492. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40925792
    Love, R. (2021). Swearing in informal spoken English: 1990s–2010s. Text & Talk, 41(5-6), 739-762. https://doi.org/10.1515/text-
    2020-0051
    Lowkey. (n.d.-c). In Urban Dictionary. Retrieved May 7, 2023, from https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Lowkey
    

    View Slide

36. sources
    Mansor, N. S. (2021). How Advertising Speaks to Consumers: A Case of Youth Language in Local Commercial Discourse.
    Indonesian Journal of EFL and Linguistics, 6(2), 353. https://doi.org/10.21462/ijefl.v6i2.202
    McCrindle, M., & Wolfinger, E. (2009). The ABC of XYZ: Understanding the global generations. UNSW Press.
    Poláková & Klímová. (2019). Mobile Technology and Generation Z in the English Language Classroom – A Preliminary
    Study. Education Sciences, 9(3), 203. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9030203
    Rowling, J. K. (2009). Harry Potter and the philosopher’s stone. Bloomsbury.
    Unit. (2023). In Cambridge Dictionary. Cambridge University Press.
    https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/unit
    Valera, S. (2023). The semantics of noun-to-verb zero-derivation in English and Spanish. Zeitschrift für Sprachwissenschaft, 42(1), 153-
    180. https://doi.org/10.1515/zfs-2022-2016
    WP Company. (2019, December 15). A guide to how gender-neutral language is developing around the world. The Washington Post.
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/12/15/guide-how-gender-neutral-language-is-developing-around-world/
    Yoon, J., Gomez, L., Gonzales, J., Martinez, R., Torres, K., Williams, V., Davis, M., & Cammarota, J. (2021). Spill the Tea. In J.
    Cammarota (Ed.), Liberatory Practices for Learning (pp. 47–68). Springer International Publishing.
    https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56685-2_3
    Yusuf, Y. Q., Fata, I. A., & Aini, R. (2023). “GOTCHUU!”: THE USE OF SLANG IN SOCIAL MEDIA BY GENERATION Z. LiNGUA: Jurnal
    Ilmu Bahasa Dan Sastra, 17(2), 167–174. https://doi.org/10.18860/ling.v17i2.17756
    

    View Slide