Slang in Hong Kong evolves over time, and mainly comprises Cantonese, English, or a combination of the two.
Introduction
The word slanguage consists of two original English words, slang and language. ‘Slang’ means informal usage in vocabulary and idioms that is characteristically more metaphorical, while ‘Language’ means a body of words in which people who are of the same culture, community or nation share the system. Hong Kong slanguage consists of commonly used terms or trendy expressions in Hong Kong which are in Cantonese only. This type of language is used both in written and spoken words. As Hong Kong slanguage mainly consists of trendy expressions that are commonly used in the Internet and other social medias, it broadly represents the culture or social issues which take place in a certain period of time. Therefore, Hong Kong slanguage usually changes with time and some words would be eliminated over time. Due to usage of non-standard words or phrases, Hong Kong slanguage is still relatively less accepted and understood by Cantonese speakers.
History
The rise of local slanguage is a social phenomenon in Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, there are approximately 5400000 active Internet users. This immense number of Internet users apparently gives an impetus to the evolution of Hong Kong online forums and the birth of Hong Kong slanguage. The trend started with the development of local online forums. The two dominating online forums in Hong Kong, HK Golden Forum and HK Discuss Forum, were found in 2000 and 2003 respectively. As the number of Hong Kong forum users gradually increased, members of younger generation found typing formal Chinese words and sentences on the Internet to be old-fashioned, developing distinct and innovative online buzzwords. In the beginning, those words were exclusively used on online forums and amongst younger Internet users. Unexpectedly, some new phrases spread extensively, becoming commonplace, not only amongst Hong Kong teenagers, but also enjoying use widespread use among Hong Kong adults and in the media. Some of these new terms are now widely accepted by the public and are classified as ‘Hong Kong slanguage’. In 2008 Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination, local slanguage was included in the questions by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority in Chinese paper five. In 2009, a form-three student was found using slang terms in the Territory-wide System Assessment. Hong Kong slanguage has had a broad impact in the lives of Hongkongese people, far outreaching its Internet origins.
Examples
There are several examples of the usage of slanguage.. 1. He3 - To describe someone who stroll around without any purpose and heedless of everything. 2. Fong3 fei1 gei1 - Literally to fly an aeroplane; to fail to turn up on a date. 3. Sap6 buk1 - Sounds like the English word, support. To cheer someone up. 4. Fu6 luk1 - Sounds like the English word, fluke. Meaning something that is unlikely or surprising and only happens because of luck. 5. O zeoi2 - Literally to have an O shaped mouth; to feel astonishing and stunning, meaning 'oh my gosh'. The jaw drops and the shape of the mouth resembles the English letter, O. 6. Cyun3 zoei2 - To behave arrogantly and rudely. 7. Wat1 gei1 - Literally to break a machine into two pieces. An adjective describing someone who is tremendous and excellent. 8. Sing1 ne1 - To gain a higher level in video game. 9. Baan6 haai5 - To behave pretentiously 10. Pan3 faan6 - Something makes you burst into laughter. 11. Maai6 fei1 fat6 - My favorite. 12. Dik6 hon6 - Literally to sweat. To feel speechless and reticent. 13. Taat3 zoek3 - Literally to ignite a fire. Two people fall in love and become a couple. 14. Gwai1 cuk1 - Literally 'turtle speed'; extremely slow speed.
Relationship with Cantonese and Culture
From the aspect of linguistics, the lexicon of Hong Kong slanguage can be classified into three types, including compounds, simple words and accessional words. Over 80% of 237 Hong Kong slang words consist of compound, a word with more than one radical element, which indicates that Cantonese slangs are usually composed by the existing words. Aforementioned examples such as Fong Fei Gei, Cyun Zoei and Wat Gei are all compounds, while Hea, Sap buk, Fu Luk are simple words, which cannot be broken down into different words and O jui is accessional word. Cantonese has an array of unique features and the classification in usage of Cantonese is particular. The components of a Chinese word relate to each other compactly. For instance, radicals in Chinese symbolize various gestures and actions. It paves a way for Cantonese to possess strong expressiveness. Therefore, people nurture and create slanguage in Cantonese easily. Some words simply do not exist in other Chinese dialects. For example, there is no formal Chinese character for jiu, which is verbal Cantonese for chew in which the word is simply made up by Hong Kong people. Teenagers, being the most innovative and dynamic language users in a society, create new terms frequently. The younger generation is probably more responsible for spreading slangs directly because they are much more susceptible to the world of television comedies, commercials, comic strips and so on. This explains why a large portion of slang expressions originate and spread out from youth communities. It also states that slanguage is not only for communication, but also for recording the current culture. Thus, through the wide acceptance of Hong Kong slanguage, the culture of Hong Kong teenagers and perhaps even the entire society can be realized.
