Bibliographische Detailangaben
Beteiligte: Harris, John S.
In: Journal of Technical Writing and Communication, 28, 1998, 2, S. 217-222
veröffentlicht:
SAGE Publications
Medientyp: Artikel, E-Artikel

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Umfang: 217-222
ISSN: 1541-3780
0047-2816
DOI: 10.2190/50xd-cgkh-brfr-8494
veröffentlicht in: Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Sprache: Englisch
Schlagwörter:
Kollektion: SAGE Publications (CrossRef)
Inhaltsangabe

<jats:p> One function of language is to communicate substantive information, but that is not its only function—sometimes not even its primary function. The criminal and drug class adopt an argot unintelligible to law abiding citizens, and that cipher function is one of the purposes of that language. Teenagers of any era adopt a vocabulary that shows that they are hip or hep or with it or cool. Such languages are often rich in metaphor and at their root poetic. It is fascinating to investigate these elusive and protean sub-languages, because they demonstrate with modern instances how language has evolved and how it continues to evolve. Our present focus, with technical sub-languages reveals sociological functions of language that transcend mere transfer of substantive information. Technical language would seem to be at the opposite pole from criminals' argot or teenagers' cool slang. We might expect it to exhibit that so-called purer function of transferring information, little affected by sociological factors. Nonetheless, we find one sociological feature, the shibboleth, acting widely throughout technical fields. This is our current topic. </jats:p>