With the development of the society, slang is accepted by more and more Americans. This thesis analyses features and functions of American slang. The author draws a conclusion that American slang reflects the cultural characteristics of Americans’ humor, informality, self-confidence, anti-authority, innovation consciousness and pursuit for time efficiency.
Abstract................................................................Ⅰ
Key Words...............................................................Ⅰ
摘要....................................................................Ⅰ
关键词..................................................................Ⅰ
Introduction.............................................................1
Ⅰ.American Slang........................................................3
A.The Definition of Slang................................................3
B.The Origination of American Slang......................................4
Ⅱ.Features of American Slang............................................5
A. The General Features of American Slang................................5
1. The Linguistic Features of American Slang.............................6
2. Semantics Feature of American Slang...................................7
B. Americans’ Characters Reflecting from American Slang...............7
1. Humor.............................................................8
2. Anti-authority....................................................8
3. Informality.......................................................9
4. Time Efficiency.......................................................10
5. Self-confidence.......................................................10
6. Innovation Consciousness..............................................10
Ⅲ.American Slang and American Culture...................................11
A. American Slang Reflecting American Culture..........................11
B.Diversification of American Slang ...................................12
C.American Slang Used in Different Social Groups.........................12
Conclusion...............................................................15
Acknowledgements.........................................................16
Bibliography.............................................................17
