Hong Kong slang
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.[1] 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.[2]
Examples[]
There are several examples of the usage of slanguage. (Note: English romanization for terms below uses the Jyutping system).
1. He3 (