Women Slang: A Study of Some Selected Female Students of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto

Abstract

This study evaluates women slang among students in Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto. Women tend to device some unique means through which they communicate within the group. Therefore, they borrow, coin or create words connotatively from either English language or other indigenous languages they use to refer to persons, places, things and processes within their environment. This paper seeks to explore this kind of language with specific reference to women slang among 300Level and 400Level female students of the Department of Modern European languages and Linguistics, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto. The Theoretical Framework adopted in this study is “Slang Word Theory”. The instrument for data collection was Questionnaire and Observation method. The findings of the study reveal that, historically, women were put in a difficult situation(s) due to the fear of uttering some certain words that the society may consider as inappropriate or taboo. As such, they tend to develop new words and associate new meanings to the already existing words to circumvent the taboo words. The paper concludes by identifying the most important processes used in women slang.