Uptalk, Vocal Fry and, Like, Totally Slang: Assessing Stylistic Trends in American Speech

• Authors: Tadeusz Lewandowski
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

This paper examines linguistic debates surrounding new stylistic conventions in American English, namely the use o f uptalk (speaking statements with a sing note at the end, as in a question), vocal fry (the injection o f creaky, glottal vibrations at the end o f words), and the increasing appearance o f slang in the United States school system. These phenomena are assessed through the prism o f Dwight Macdonald’s essays on English fromthe l°60s, and the “prescriptive” vs. “descriptive” debate on lexicography bom in that ame decade. While this division of perspectives and \alues defines the rift from past models of language and culture, the current prevalence of the descriptiv e school in American academia and its endorsement of uptalk, vocal fry, and slang designate the trajectory of English’s stylistic future.

Keywords

EN

uptalk; vocal fry; slang; lexicography; Dwight Macdonald

• Publisher: Instytut Polonistyki i Kulturoznawstwa Uniwersytetu Opolskiego
• Journal: Stylistyka
• Year: 2012
• Volume: 21
• Pages: 209-220

Dates

published

2020-12-12

Contributors

author

Tadeusz Lewandowski