Tomorrow May Not Be Yours: Military Slang and Jargon as Linguistic Performance in Nigeria

IF 0.5 3区文学 0 LANGUAGE & LINGUISTICS

Language Matters Pub Date : 2022-09-02 DOI:10.1080/10228195.2022.2122540

G. Uwen, Eyo O. Mensah

引用次数: 3

Abstract

Abstract This article explores the expressive use of slang and jargon by officers and men of the Nigerian Army in a bid to construct social identity, enforce discipline, and conform to work ethics. The study adopts linguistic ideology and community of practice theories which are complemented by the notion of style as performance to provide frameworks for understanding military subjectivities and attitudes represented by these emblematic linguistic resources. Data were sourced through participant observation and semi-structured interviews with 30 participants. The study found that military slang and jargon help ease communication between officers and men as they index power, enhance solidarity, facilitate inclusion (and exclusion), and promote varied military subcultures. We conclude that situated language practices provide a site for linguistic creativity and the enactment of style that sustain meaningful relationships between personnel in the army. This linguistic practice, therefore, offers strong social capital in defining collective identities and professional belonging.

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明天可能不是你的：军事俚语和雅贡语在尼日利亚的语言表演

摘要本文探讨了尼日利亚军队官兵在构建社会认同、执行纪律和遵守职业道德方面对俚语和行话的表达。本研究采用语言意识形态和实践共同体理论，并辅以风格作为表现的概念，为理解这些象征性语言资源所代表的军事主体性和态度提供了框架。数据来源于30名参与者的参与观察和半结构化访谈。研究发现，军事俚语和行话有助于简化军官和士兵之间的沟通，因为它们反映了权力，增强了团结，促进了包容(和排斥)，并促进了多样化的军事亚文化。我们的结论是，情境语言实践为语言创造力和风格的制定提供了一个场所，维持了军队人员之间有意义的关系。因此，这种语言实践在定义集体身份和职业归属方面提供了强大的社会资本。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Language Matters Multiple-

CiteScore

1.20

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： The purpose of Language Matters is to provide a journal of international standing with a unique African flavour focusing on multilingualism in Africa. Although the journal contributes to the language debate on all African languages, sub-Saharan Africa and issues related to multilingualism in the southern African context are the journal’s specific domains. The journal seeks to promote the dissemination of ideas, points of view, teaching strategies and research on different aspects of African languages, providing a forum for discussion on the whole spectrum of language usage and debate in Africa. The journal endorses a multidisciplinary approach to the study of language and welcomes contributions not only from sociolinguists, psycholinguists and the like, but also from educationalists, language practitioners, computer analysts, engineers or scholars with a genuine interest in and contribution to the study of language. All contributions are critically reviewed by at least two referees. Although the general focus remains on multilingualism and related issues, one of the three issues of Language Matters published each year is a special thematic edition on Language Politics in Africa. These special issues embrace a wide spectrum of language matters of current relevance in Southern Africa.