THE ANALYSIS OF LANGUAGE VARIATION USED IN
FAST AND FURIOUS 8 MOVIE
A Sociolinguistics Study
By: Arkin Haris, S.Pd., M.Hum.
Email: arkinharrys@gmail.com
Website: arkinharis.com
A. Background of Study
As human beings, people can not be separated from the process of
communication. In their lives, people need to interact with others since they can’t live by
themselves. Through communication process, people can change their minds, ideas,
thoughts, and intentions. They can also deliver messages to others. In conducting
communication, people need a medium to express their intentions and messages. The
most appropriate medium is language since language can carry a message by symbols.
This is in line with what has been suggested by Wardaugh (1992: 8) who states that
―Language allows people to say things to each other and expresses communicate needs‖.
In short, language is constantly used by humans in their daily life as a means of
communication.
Language is very important in social interaction. In interlace good relation, people
will use appropriate language that can be understood by others in particular event. Some
communities have their own language that is used in daily activity which different with
other communities. Every community have different characteristic from their culture
which determined the variety of language that they use. Some of them make uncommon
languages that only can be understood by the member of communities in order to keeping
their attribute or keeping a secret. Family relation, work place, friendship, and social
class also can be causes of language varieties. Beside language varieties, changed or mix
a language to another can be the way to establish a communication depend on who is the
partner and the context. The use of language varieties can be found in daily activities. In
this paper the writer want to point out the basic issues of language variety theory in the
movie context because movie illustrate a human living that can not be separated with
language and communication.
B. Objective of the Study
The aims of this research are:
a. Giving explanation about sociolinguistics language variation theory
b. Identify the language variation that is used in Fast and Furious 8 movie
C. Theoritical Review
1. Language Varieties
In sociolinguistics a language variety, also called a lect, is a specific form of a
language or language cluster. It is a general term for any distinctive form of a language or
linguistic expression. This may include languages, dialects, registers, styles or other
forms of language, as well as a standard variety. The use of the word "variety" to refer to
the different forms avoids the use of the term language, which many people associate
only with the standard language, and the term dialect, which is often associated with nonstandard varieties, thought of as less prestigious or "correct" than the standard. Linguists
speak of both standard and non-standard varieties. "Lect" avoids the problem in
ambiguous cases of deciding whether two varieties are distinct languages or dialects of a
single language.
Linguistic commonly use language variety as a cover term for any of the
overlapping subcategories of a language. Variation at the level of the lexicon, such as
slang, argot, jargon, register, and idiom is often considered in relation to particular styles
or levels of formality (also called registers), but such uses are sometimes discussed as
varieties as well.
a. Jargon
Jargon is a type of language that is used in a particular context and may not be
well understood outside that context. The context is usually a particular occupation (that
is, a certain trade, profession, or academic field), but any in group can have jargon. The
main trait that distinguishes jargon from the rest of a language is special vocabulary
including some words specific to it, and often different senses or meanings of words that
out groups would tend to take in another sense; therefore misunderstanding that
communication attempt. Jargon is thus "the technical terminology or characteristic idiom
of a special activity or group". Most jargon is technical terminology, involving terms of
art or industry terms, with particular meaning within a specific industry. A main driving
force in the creation of technical jargon is precision and efficiency of communication
when a discussion must easily range from general themes to specific, finely differentiated
details without circumlocution. A side-effect of this is a higher threshold for
comprehensibility, which is usually accepted as a trade-off but is sometimes even used as
a means of social exclusion (reinforcing ingroup-outgroup barriers) or social aspiration
(when intended as a way of showing off).
b. Argot
An argot (English: /ˈɑːrɡoʊ/; from French argot [aʁˈɡo] 'slang') is a secret
language used by various groups—e.g., schoolmates, outlaws, colleagues, among many
others—to prevent outsiders from understanding their conversations. The term argot is
also used to refer to the informal specialized vocabulary from a particular field of study,
occupation, or hobby, in which sense it overlaps with jargon. The discipline of medicine
has been referred to as having its own argot which includes abbreviations, acronyms, and
"technical colloquialisms".
Author Victor Hugo was one of the first to research argot extensively. He
describes it in his 1862 novel Les Misérables as the language of the dark; at one point, he
says, "What is argot; properly speaking? Argot is the language of misery."The earliest
known record of the term argot in this context was in a 1628 document. The word was
probably derived from the contemporary name les argotiers, given to a group of thieves at
that time.
Under the strictest definition, an argot is a proper language with its own grammar
and style. But such complete secret languages are rare because the speakers usually have
some public language in common, on which the argot is largely based. Such argots are
mainly versions of another language, with a part of its vocabulary replaced by words
unknown to the larger public; argot used in this sense is synonymous with cant. For
example, argot in this sense is used for systems such as verlan and louchébem, which
retain French syntax and apply transformations only to individual words (and often only
to a certain subset of words, such as nouns, or semantic content words). Such systems are
examples of argots à clef, or ―coded argots‖
Specific words can go from argot into common speech or the other way. For
example, modern French loufoque 'crazy, goofy', now common usage, originates in the
louchébem transformation of Fr. fou 'crazy'."Piaf" is a Parisian argot word for "bird,
sparrow". It was taken up by singer Edith Piaf as her stage name.
c. Register
In linguistics, a register is a variety of a language used for a particular purpose or
in a particular social setting. For example, when speaking in a formal setting, an English
speaker may be more likely to use features of prescribed grammar than in an informal
setting—such as pronouncing words ending in -ing with a velar nasal instead of an
alveolar nasal (e.g. "walking", not "walkin'"), choosing more formal words (e.g. father vs.
dad, child vs. kid, etc.), and refraining from using words considered nonstandard, such as
ain't.
As with other types of language variation, there tends to be a spectrum of registers
rather than a discrete set of obviously distinct varieties—numerous registers could be
identified, with no clear boundaries between them. Discourse categorisation is a complex
problem, and even in the general definition of "register" given above (language variation
defined by use not user), there are cases where other kinds of language variation, such as
regional or age dialect, overlap. Consequent to this complexity, scholarly consensus has
not been reached for the definitions of terms including "register", "field" or "tenor";
different scholars' definitions of these terms are often in direct contradiction of each
other. Additional terms including diatype, genre, text types, style, acrolect, mesolect,
basilect, sociolect and ethnolect among many others, may be used to cover the same or
similar ground. Some prefer to restrict the domain of the term "register" to a specific
vocabulary (Wardhaugh, 1986) (which one might commonly call slang, jargon, argot or
cant), while others[who?] argue against the use of the term altogether. These various
approaches with their own "register", or set of terms and meanings, fall under disciplines
including sociolinguistics, stylistics, pragmatics or systemic functional grammar.
d. Slang
Slang denotes low linguistic register words, phrases, and usages that in their
conversation special groups like teenagers, musicians, or criminals favor over standard
counterparts in order to establish group identity and exclude outsider in its earliest
attested use (1756), the word slang referred to the vocabulary of "low or disreputable"
people. By the early nineteenth century, it was no longer exclusively associated with
disreputable people, but continued to be applied to usages below the level of standard
educated speech. The origin of the word is uncertain, although it appears to be connected
with thieves' cant. A Scandinavian origin has been proposed (compare, for example,
Norwegian slengenavn, which means "nickname"), but based on "date and early
associations" is discounted by the Oxford English Dictionary. Jonathan Green, however,
agrees with the possibility of a Scandinavian origin, suggesting the same root as that of
sling, which means "to throw", and noting that slang is thrown language - a quick, honest
way to make your point.
e. Idiom
An idiom (Latin: idiomī, "special property", from Ancient Greek: ἰδίωμα, translit.
idíōma, "special feature, special phrasing, a peculiarity", f. Ancient Greek: ἴδιος, translit.
ídios, "one's own") is a phrase or an expression that has a figurative, or sometimes literal,
meaning. Categorized as formulaic language, an idiom's figurative meaning is different
from the literal meaning. There are thousands of idioms, occurring frequently in all
languages. It is estimated that there are at least twenty-five thousand idiomatic
expressions in the English language.
Many idiomatic expressions, in their original use, were not figurative but had
literal meaning. Also, sometimes the attribution of a literal meaning can change as the
phrase becomes disconnected from its original roots, leading to a folk etymology. For
instance, spill the beans (meaning to reveal a secret) has been said to originate from an
ancient method of democratic voting, wherein a voter would put a bean into one of
several cups to indicate which candidate he wanted to cast his vote for. If the jars were
spilled before the counting of votes was complete, anyone would be able to see which jar
had more beans, and therefore which candidate was the winner. Over time, the practice
was discontinued and the idiom became figurative.
However, this etymology for spill the beans has been questioned by linguists. The
earliest known written accounts come from the USA and involve horse racing around
1902–1903, and the one who "spilled the beans" was an unlikely horse who won a race,
thus causing the favorites to lose. By 1907 the term was being used in baseball, but the
subject who "spilled the beans" shifted to players who made mistakes, allowing the other
team to win. By 1908 the term was starting to be applied to politics, in the sense that
crossing the floor in a vote was "spilling the beans". However, in all these early usages
the term "spill" was used in the sense of "upset" rather than "divulge". A stackexchange
discussion provided a large number of links to historic newspapers covering the usage of
the term from 1902 onwards.
2. Code Mixing And Code Switching
Code-mixing is the mixing of two or more languages or language varieties in
speech. Code-mixing may occur within a multilingual setting where speakers share more
than one language. While Code-switching occurs when a speaker alternates between two
or more languages, or language varieties, in the context of a single conversation.
Multilingual, speakers of more than one language, sometimes use elements of multiple
languages when conversing with each other. Thus, code-switching is the use of more than
one linguistic variety in a manner consistent with the syntax and phonology of each
variety.
Some work defines code-mixing as the placing or mixing of various linguistic
units (affixes, words, phrases, clauses) from two different grammatical systems within the
same sentence and speech context, while code-switching is the placing or mixing of units
(words, phrases, sentences) from two codes within the same speech context. The
structural difference between code-switching and code-mixing is the position of the
altered elements for code-switching, the modification of the codes occurs
intersententially, while for code-mixing, it occurs intrasententially.
Some
scholars
use
the
terms
"code-mixing"
and
"code-switching"
interchangeably, especially in studies of syntax, morphology, and other formal aspects of
language. Others assume more specific definitions of code-mixing, but these specific
definitions may be different in different subfields of linguistics, education theory,
communications etc. Code switching entails that the language codes are used
intersententially, change from one language or dialect to another sentences or utterances
in one language. Code switching is the alternation of the use of at least two languages or
their varieties or styles in the same conversation in a bilingual community, and
structurally it is inter-sentential. It is also functional (done on purpose). In code mixing
there is a base code that is used and has its own function and autonomy, whereas the
other codes involved are not more than pieces without having function or autonomy as a
code.
D. Discussion
1. Slang
The setting was in the Hobb’s office (Diplomatic security service Los Angeles
division). This word said by Hobb. He talked to Deckard Shaw. Deckard Shaw is
owen shaw’s brother. He came to Hobb’s office to know a team who hurt his little
brother. The quoted conversation:
1. Shaw : Like I said, I'm here for the team that crippled my brother.
Hobb :There ain't no goddamn team. It was just one man, and he's standing right in
front of you.
The word goddamn means ―an expression which used to express extreme
displeasure, anger, or surprise. From the quoted conversation above, it can be
assumed that the word ―Goddamn‖ means―expression of irritation‖.The meaning
was appropriated with the situation in the movie, where Hobb was irritated,
because there was unfamiliar boy that operated his computer. Then, the writer
categorizes this word into society slang because it closely related with society. This
word is appropriate with the characteristic of society slang.
2. Deckard : When we were kids... You'd start fights with the toughest bastards in
the yard.
―bastards‖ means ―an obnoxious person‖. The meaning was appropriated
with the situation in the movie, where Deckard told their childhood that fight with
the strongest people. This word categorized
into society slang because it is
appropriate with the characteristic of the society slang.
3. Hector: Letty, what the hell?
Damn, Dom! Your girl's still got that swing, homie.
―what the hell‖ means ―what has happened‖. The meaning was appropriated with
the situation in the movie, where Hector was confused why Letty hit him.
4. Roman: Get outta there, man. I got dibs on that. You see me looking at that.
5. Brian: Hey buddy you didn't give me a high-five? Wait, wait, wait
High-five! All right! Yeah, buddy.
The word ―high-five‖means ―a greeting where the palm of the aised and slapped
against another person’s palm similarly raised‖.
6. Brian: I just...
I've screwed up so many things.
I couldn't live with myself if I screwed this up, too
―Screwed up‖ means ―to mess up‖. The meaning was appropriated with the
situation in the movie, where Brian felt that they always mess so many things. He felt
bad.
7. Brian: Dom. Cars don't fly!
Cars don't fly!
Shit!
The word ―shit‖ means ―anything bad, poor, inferior, unpleasant‖. This meaning
has taken from Shorter Slang Dictionary.
8. Roman: Whatever. I mean, I think...
Let's hit it from here.
The word ―hit‖ means ―to attack or rob someone or something‖.
9. Tej: Hey, Roman, you're freaking out, ain't you?
The word ―freaking out‖ means ―to panic; to lose control‖.
10. Roman: Can you just chill out, man?
Brian: Shit.
The word ―chill out‖means ―to calm down; to be cool; to get cool;
to relax”.
11. Sit tight, Roman. We'll come back for you.
Conversation above, this study was agreed that the phrase ―sit tight‖ means
―patiently‖.
12. Letty: Would you believe I knocked him out with my charm?
A bodyguard: You ain't that charming, bitch
Based on the quoted conversation above, this study assumed that the word
―bitch‖ means ― an easy woman‖. The meaning was appropriated with the situation
in the movie, where a bodyguard was irritated to Letty because she slip away to
prince’s bedroom.
13. Jack: Where's mommy?
Hector: Letty, what the hell?
The word ―mommy‖ means ―mother‖.
14. Damn, Dom! Your girl's still got that swing, homie.
Word ―homie‖ means
―buddy‖.
The meaning was appropriated with the
situation in the movie, where Hector make conversation with Dom, and he
called Dom using homie.
15. Brian: Hey buddy you didn't give me a high-five? Wait, wait, wait.
High-five! All right! Yeah, buddy.
Appreciate it, thank you.
The word ―buddy‖ means ―friend‖.The meaning was appropriated with the
situation in the movie, where Brian called his son using buddy.
E. Research Finding
SLANG
NO
1.
KIND OF SLANG
Bro
2.
What the hell
3.
Guys
4.
Hah ?
5.
Nah
6.
Boom !
7.
Bitch
8.
Oh shit !
9.
Holy shit
10.
Man
11.
By the way
12.
Gimme a break
13.
Whoah- whoah - whoah
14.
Uh-uh
15.
Damn fast !
16.
Let play baby !
17.
Yup
18.
Get be shit !
19.
Goddamn
20.
Bastard
21.
I got dibs on that
22.
High- five
23.
Screwed up
24.
Hit
25.
Freakin’ out
26.
Chill out
27.
Sit right
28.
Mommy
29.
Homie
30.
Buddy
ARGOT
NO.
1.
KIND OF ARGOT
Sea lock
2.
Chiper
3.
False Ping
4.
Night side
5.
Little Nobody
6.
Nowhere
7.
Drum Cherokee
8.
Hercules !
9.
Family
10.
Quantamzer Sync
11.
Nuchlear football
12.
Lambo
13.
Apple Big
14.
Victoria cross
15.
Off grid
16.
Blanta “Black Santa”
17.
Bumhole
18.
GEODIE
19.
Zombie time
20.
We got tank with 750 horse power, 6.6 liter V8 Duramax machine with M153
21.
God eyes
22.
WMD
23.
DSS
24.
EMP
25.
Micro router
26.
Tay-Tay
27.
Democly 7 EWP
28.
Impala (the old car)
29.
Buster
30.
Limousin
IDIOM
NO.
1.
KIND OF IDIOM
You like a first baby sit !
JARGON
NO.
1.
2.
KIND OF JARGON
God eyes !
Be you, you are
CODE SWITCHING
NO
1.
KIND OF CODE SWITCHING
tu hermano, él está en problemas
2.
Tienes que mostrar respeto a las personas
3.
¿Estás listo para esto?
4.
esto es La Habana
5.
Apúrate
6.
ten cuidado
7.
Adios, Toretto
8.
quien es el? que esta haciendo? dispararle
CODE MIXING
NO.
1.
2.
KIND OF CODE MIXING
If I said again, alguien se lastimará !
espera hasta que termine mi bebida, I’m Fucking thirsty
F. Conclusion
Language variety refers to a set of communicative forms and norms for their use
that are restricted to a particular group, community or activities. There are some kinds
of language variety such as jargon, argot, register, slang, idiom. Sociolinguistics
approach is also found code mixing and code switching as a phenomenon in social
communication. After analysis this film, the researcher make a conclusion about
language variaty in Fast and Furious 8 Movie, including 45 % slang, 40 % argot, 10
% code mixing and code switching, and 5 % jargon and idiom.
G. References
Chambers, J. K. 1995. Sociolinguistic Theory: Linguistic Variation and It's Social
Significance, Oxford: Blackwell
Fishman, Joshua. 1972. Language in Social Cultural Change. California: Stanford
University Press
Holmes, Janet. 2001. An introduction to Sociolinguistic. 2001. London: Longman
Leech, G. and J. Svartvik . 1975. A communicative grammar of English. London:
Longman
Wardhaugh, Ronald. 2006. An Introduction to Sociolinguistics. Australia: Blackwell
Publishing