On Language was weekly New York Times Magazine’s regular column that discussed some language-related topics such as new or unusual usages and popular etymology; the very first column was published on February 18, 1979. William Safire, a famous American journalist and columnist, was one of the most well-known and frequent contributors until he died in 2009. The purpose of this paper is to discuss Safire’s article that was titled “Kiduage” and also published in On Language.
“Kiduage” appeared in 2004 and became one of the most famous in this column. In this article, Safire assessed slang words’ evolution of over the years and evaluated a rather interesting phenomenon – the way teenagers are changing the dimension of language by coming up with new words and expressions. In the modern age, adolescents contribute to the development of the language and provide a new meaning to many words that used to mean differently in the past. For example, in this article, there is the term “crunk” that has been given a new meaning and now describes a person who is crazy and drunk simultaneously (Safire, 2004). Moreover, the author postulated that teenagers bring back some terms that were used in the past. For instance, “tight,” which has the extended meaning of innocent intimacy with someone (Safire, 2004). It is a rather interesting process of connecting a term and a meaning that were not supposed to be linked.
There are several reasons for teenagers to produce new words and meaning and change the language. Among others, Safire (2004) highlights that “the state of excitement generates new verbs” (p. 28). The introduction of words emanates significantly out of the information that adolescents acquire in their daily interactions. This article is rather crucial since it revealed the English language changing into various forms. Safire (2004) stated that hundreds of new expressions and words are being used to simplify lengthy words and craft new language relations amongst teenagers. Although many of these meanings are only known by adolescents – a small group of people, their continued development is undeniable and significant.
Reference
Safire, W. (2004). Kiduage. The New York Times, 6, 28.