Neologism: A Narrowing or a Broadening Process, a Case of Sheng

Abstract

This study is meant to test lexical pragmatic process of broadening using Sheng[1] data. Sheng is such an emotic language phenomenon that both linguists and non-linguists have grappled with for a long time. In this paper, Sheng is handled as a tool for communication used by the Kenyan youth in their daily interaction, all other contending views notwithstanding. It is also important to state from the onset that we handle Sheng from a functional grammar[2] point of view. This study employed a Lexical Pragmatics theory as proposed by Blutner (1998) and indeed many other scholars, who view neologism as a broadening process. In this study, we have a different view on neologism albeit. Thus, we argue that in fact neologism is a narrowing process in Sheng, according to the data on Sheng. Neologism here is used as defined by Crystal (2001) and Kate (2001)[3]. Data used in this paper was gathered through questionnaires issued to speakers of Sheng in Jericho Estate in the Eastland’s area of Nairobi. The data was later analyzed within lexical pragmatic theoretical framework. This study recommends a further investigation into the various seemingly dialectical variations of Sheng.

Keywords: Broadening, narrowing, neologism, lexical pragmatics, word, Sheng

[1] Considered as a youth jargon, code, language spoken by the youth in the urban settlements in Kenya.

[2] A theory of grammar concerned with how the social, cognitive, and pragmatic functions of language relate to structure.

[3] Crystal (2001) defines neologism as the creation of new lexical items in the language