Due soon

LING 210 Signature Assignment (Inquiry and Analysis VALUE Rubric)

Slang Dictionary Entry Assignment

(based on an idea by Anne Curzan,”Language matters: Resistance and Relevance in Teacher Education.”

Language 89.1, 2013.)

Choose one slang word that is not in the most current edition of the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. This can be a word that is used quite widely, or one that is part of a small speech community. Using the standard format of a dictionary entry, provide a full entry for your word, including

all of the following information:

-the word in standard spelling (or most common spelling first followed by variations)

-pronunciation (transcribe it using IPA with dots to separate syllables if more than one and accent over

the vowel with the primary stress)

-lexical category (if more than one, list the most common first)

-list of definition(s) of the word with example uses

-etymology (if possible)

-Usage notes (in what situations is this term useful appropriate—in what situations would it be

inappropriate).

Save your work with your name in the file name and upload to Moodle by Wed, May 31.

Notes

Of course, there are slang dictionaries online, but do not use one of these to write your entry. For this assignment, you are the language authority. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do research—ask your friends about the word, and do some internet searching to see if people beyond your circle use the word. It’s a great idea to provide authentic examples of use from the internet or friends, but be sure these are ‘authentic’ real uses—not definitions of the word or discussions of or about the word (as happens often with new slang when it starts to be noticed).

Also, don’t be shy if the word is related to a sensitive or explicit topic—linguists deal with ALL words in a scientific manner (though some of us find guilty pleasure in studying obscenities and other ‘taboo’ words -