Language is a dynamic construct undergoing constant changes. These changes can be of almost any kind. Most of them are well known, but some are not, yet. One example of these very recent language changes is the item uber. The word occurs frequently in Internet chatting etc. often replacing words like very as ways to describe the superior or awesome quality of something being described. A terrific video gamer e.g. could be called an uber gamer. In order to investigate on that topic, it is necessary to trace its origin back and to get an overview of what its common usage and contextual environment might be.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Approaches to a Definition
3. Data and Method
3.1. Quality Criteria
3.1.1. Objectivity
3.1.2. Reliability
3.1.3. Validity
3.2. Methodology
4. Hands on uber
4.1. Formal Facts
4.2. Socio-demographic Facts
4.3. Functional Facts
4.3.1. Prefix
4.3.2. Intensifier
4.3.3. The Function of uber
4.4. Semantic Facts
5. Conclusion
6. References
Research Objectives and Topics
This paper investigates the usage, meaning, and linguistic mechanisms of the lexical item "uber" within contemporary colloquial written English. By analyzing data from web-based corpora, the research aims to determine whether "uber" functions primarily as a prefix or an intensifier, exploring its syntactic patterns and semantic characteristics in internet-mediated communication.
- Linguistic analysis of "uber" as a prefix and intensifier.
- Evaluation of "uber" in colloquial, internet-based register.
- Investigation of adjectival and nominal collocations.
- Analysis of socio-demographic factors and age-related frequency.
- Assessment of semantic shifts from negative to positive connotations.
Excerpt from the Book
4.1. Formal Facts
The element uber occasionally appears in colloquial written English texts published in the internet. Examples are expressions like uber-geek, uber-cool, uber-jew, uber bitch, uber easy, uber chimps, uber pc, uber cheap, uberham, ubermutant, ubertrout, ubercat, ubersimple.
An apparent observation is the discordance in spelling. There seem to be three different ways of spelling for combining uber with either adjectives or nouns, e.g. as in:
(1) The artwork for the album is courtesy of Japanese artist Kazuki , who also designs clothes for the uber-cool Japanese label Bathing Ape.
(2) The new Live Room was a cross between an ubercool club in Berlin and a contemporary space for modern clubbers.
(3) Not a problem , she's gorgeous , she bought uber bitch mixed with smouldering sex appeal to a Sci Fi audience and thats fine with me.
The spelling is complicated by hyphenation, which is an area of individual and subjective usage and conditional rules of only limited acceptance. Hyphenation does serve several purposes such as e.g. semantic differentiation or an increase of the readability (cf. Kocourek 1996: 87).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the dynamic nature of language change and introduces "uber" as a recent lexical item prevalent in internet communication.
2. Approaches to a Definition: Examines existing dictionary definitions and internet-based user discussions regarding the role and meaning of "uber".
3. Data and Method: Discusses the empirical quality criteria—objectivity, reliability, and validity—and details the methodology for corpus selection and analysis.
4. Hands on uber: Investigates the formal, socio-demographic, functional, and semantic characteristics of "uber" based on the analyzed corpus data.
5. Conclusion: Summarizes key findings, highlighting the tendency of "uber" to function as an intensifier and noting its deep integration within internet-based linguistic registers.
Keywords
Language change, uber, internet language, intensifiers, prefixes, collocations, corpus linguistics, semantic preference, delexicalization, sociolinguistics, neologisms, web corpora, morphology, syntax, gaming culture.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The research investigates the recent linguistic development of the word "uber" in colloquial written English, specifically focusing on its function, meaning, and patterns of usage on the internet.
What are the central themes discussed in the paper?
The core themes include the morphosyntactic role of "uber" (prefix vs. intensifier), its tendency to collocate with specific word categories, and its semantic shift towards expressing superiority and intensity.
What is the primary goal of the study?
The goal is to determine the mechanisms behind the emergence of "uber" in English and to classify its grammatical and semantic function through empirical data analysis.
What research methodology is applied?
The paper utilizes a corpus-based approach, analyzing samples from the UKWaC corpus and newsgroup transcriptions, while evaluating the results against established quality criteria for empirical research.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body systematically analyzes formal spelling variations, socio-demographic usage patterns, functional categorization, and the semantic preferences of "uber" in diverse linguistic contexts.
Which keywords define this study?
The study is defined by terms such as language change, internet language, intensifiers, corpus linguistics, and semantic preference.
How does spelling impact the interpretation of "uber"?
The study notes a lack of uniformity in spelling (e.g., "uber," "ueber," and hyphenated forms), which reflects subjective usage and provides insights into its adaptation from German.
What is the role of the internet in this linguistic shift?
The internet serves as the primary domain for the spread of "uber," particularly within the gaming and social media subcultures where it frequently acts as an intensifier.
How does "uber" affect the words it modifies?
The analysis suggests that "uber" often shifts the connotation of negatively perceived words (like "geek" or "bitch") toward a positive or admiring sentiment by acting as a degree-raising modifier.
What is the significance of "delexicalization" in this context?
Delexicalization explains how "uber" loses some of its original lexical constraints to function more as a grammatical intensifier, allowing it to collocate broadly with various adjectives and nouns.
- Quote paper
- Tolga Güneysel (Author), 2010, Language Theory and Change - Very Recent Language Change, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/159385
