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One of the most interesting phenomena in the discipline of linguistics is that despite the fact that millions of people can speak the same language, it is common that not all of them speak in the same way.
Even though all speakers of a language use the same lexicon (that is, they respond to the same glossary and dictionary), there are different tunes and vocabularies.
These differences occur because language is a communication tool that arises on people's own initiative: a subject impossible to individualize that goes through the circumstances of geographic areas and times.
- See also: Lexical variants
Regional lexicon
Integrations between people from different places, for example, was the determining factor for the origin of many languages, or of particular ways of speaking one of them.
In this sense, a slang (regional lexicon) was produced that combined the Italian language with Spanish, in some cases Portuguese with Spanish, and even in some regions German or English with Spanish.
This new version of the language (called ‘lunfardo’ or ‘cocoliche’ in the Río de la Plata area) did not have any formalization nor was it approved by any language institution, so it is a regional lexicon.
- See also: Dialect varieties
Generational lexicon
Another factor that can run through the lexicon is age. The customs, consumptions or ways of acting that go through people during a period of time cause new words to be incorporated. The following generations will be involved with those words from an indirect relationship, since they have not seen them but simply repeat them.
It is not, as in the previous case, an explicit rule and therefore it is not necessary that it be complied with perfectly, and there may be people of a different age than the lexicon who understand it perfectly.
- See also: Social variants
Regional lexicon examples
Here are some words from the Rio de la Plata regional lexicon:
- Draft: known.
- Yugar: work.
- Peeling: messy.
- Escolazo: game of chance.
- Dikeman: boastful.
- Cana: prison, or police.
- In band: indigent, person who has nothing left.
- Bobo: heart.
- Bearing: head.
- Chabón: silly, then applied to men without a pejorative charge.
- Piola: attentive and cunning person.
- Napia: nose.
- Amasijar: kill.
- Choreo: robbery.
- Pibe / purrete: child.
- Pickpocket: thief.
- Quilombo: brothel, then applied to talk about any disorder.
- Berretín: illusion.
- Yeta: bad luck.
- Perch: woman.
Examples of generational lexicon
- Anyone: as mediocre and bad
- Like: verb to refer to 'like' on the Facebook social network
- Fantasize: promise things that are not fulfilled later
- Insta: short for ‘Instagram’
- LOL: internet expression
- Emoticon
- Creepy: creepy
- WTF: expression of the Internet
- Vistear: verb to refer to expressing that a message has been seen without replying to it, action of some social networks
- Set sail: out of place
- Garca: scammer
- A dough: something cool
- Stalker: expression of the Internet
- Random: Internet expression
- Bluetooth
- Post: true
- Selfie
- Copado: something good or cute
- High: very
