Source #4: Today Show

12:54 AM Michael Cotter 1 Comments

This article addressed this history of the acronym and it's growth to popularity through time. Something very interesting from the article was from Deborah Tannen, author of several books on language, who said "Americans have always liked abbreviations[...] they certainly precede the internet." Another linguist, Robert Lane Greene (author of "You Are What You Speak"), continues to say how acronyms date back to ancient times - the Romans and Greeks used them. In the United States, they came into prominence in the early 20th century with the New Deal, the series of economic programs passed during the first term of Franklin D. Roosevelt - who, of course, became known by his three initials. They are widely used in the military and today's government bureaucracy.

http://www.today.com/id/41481667/ns/today-today_tech/t/omg-when-did-we-start-talking-txt-msgs/#.VUci7c7Cm70

Source #3: BrainJet & Huffington Post

3:32 PM Michael Cotter 0 Comments

BrainJet is referred to as the "daily cerebral stream." It is a website that is devoted to providing it's readers with "all of the craziest, most eye-opening, and overall most interesting information out there." Each BrainJet article is checked over before publication to ensure factuality as well as entertainment. BrainJet & Huffington Post published similar articles titled "27 Top Slang Words of 2014" which I will be using for the third and final part of my project - the popularization of new words through the internet and media. Here, I'll look at words that came to be in 2014 and how they did so - most of which I already know are from social media outlets like Vine as well as media like LogoTV and E! Network. This section will feature video clips and mixed media to demonstrate the use and contextualize of the new words for the class.

http://www.brainjet.com/pop-culture/7833/27-top-slang-words-of-2014-do-you-know-what-they-mean
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/12/15/slang-words-2014_n_6327290.html

Source #2 Oxford English Dictionary

3:09 PM Michael Cotter 0 Comments

The Oxford English Dictionary is one of the most prestigious and widely accepted dictionaries of the English language. The OED provides a helpful timeline format that allows for a closer look at the birth of new language. Using this timeline to my advantage, I want to use the OED for the first part of my project to look into words that have come into the world due to the invention of the internet (i.e.: modem, browser, email, etc).

Source #1: INOBTR.org

2:48 PM Michael Cotter 0 Comments

INOBTR (I Know Better) is an organization founded in 2007 to protect children and teens online while educating adults in understanding the facts of the internet. The website focuses on many internet related issues like how much is too much information, the facts about cyberbullying, and which websites are safer than others. This organization also provides a glossary of over 450 "cyber slang" terms or abbreviations to help read the messages being sent or received. I intend to use this specific part of their website for the second part of my project - the boom of abbreviations - and focus primarily on which ones I found most interesting, useful, and prevalent in my life. 

INOBTR Do You Know What Your Kids Are Saying Online? | INOBTR

A "Grimm" Overview: Summary of History of English Podcast's Episode 4

1:30 AM Michael Cotter 0 Comments

Final Project Proposal

9:39 AM Michael Cotter 1 Comments

Chapter 9: Internet English

I'd like to look into the language that has come from the internet; from words that are a part of the internet (browser, toolbar, etc.), to abbreviations that came along with using type (lol, smh, ttys, etc.), as well as words that were put on the internet, perhaps through social media or music, and became popular this way (kiki, fleek, barithmetic, etc.)

I plan on working and presenting in a Prezi format, definitely with visual aids and possibly with video additives (much like my bitch etymology project).

"Excuse me! We originated the language!" - Dame Maggie Smith

3:33 AM Michael Cotter 0 Comments

"Bitch" - What Did You Call Me?!

6:08 AM Michael Cotter 0 Comments

             Connotation is everything. Sentence syntax, vocal tone, and inflection all help quilt the English language and can make words hold or lose their power. I always think of how you can say anything to a dog, compliment or criticism, and they will wag their tails or lower their ears based simply on vocal tone. “Bitch” is a prime example of why sentence syntax or tone must also be examined because though the centuries it’s meaning has morphed. It originated as a word for a female dog and over time has picked up meanings of weakness, tools, and empowerment. 
           I knew before starting this project that “bitch” had meant a female dog. I feel like this was simple enough and lent itself to how the word transcended to being used on human women who are lewd. The connection to a lewd woman acting wildly or inappropriate makes sense with the origin of bitch being that dogs tend to be mildly ill behaved upon occasion. Though it makes sense, it was still an insult in the 1400s being that when they were calling the woman a bitch they were animalistic and ill behaved.
            Something interesting I noticed in my research was that the term “bitch-son” was used before women were referred to as bitches. In Arthur and Merlin the quote: “Biche sone! thou drawest amis.” Was produced alluding first to that the men were being inferior to their gender; so, they were reduced to female animals. I also found this interesting because it was men being diminished to animals first. I suppose this happens today with locker-room smack-talk and the archaic idiosyncrasy of “boys will be boys” meaning they tend to bash or ridicule one another frequently. At the same time, the “bitch-son” also diminished the boy’s mother to an animal, and this is still used today with the modern adaptation of “son of a bitch.”
            “Bitch” carried on through the years primarily demeaning females or referring to wild female beasts like wolves, foxes, dogs, etc. Some other interesting definitions it’s collected are: “to hang back or idle behind,” “to spoil or ruin,” “an old fat candle,” and “a term used in mining for a tool used to draw up rods.” All of these uses are interesting being that a lot of them are lost or unused in everyday diction. I’d argue to ruin or spoil has been added to the modern definition of “bitching” or “being a bitch” meaning someone who is complaining or ruining the collective attitude.
            More recently, “bitch” has collected a better, more positive meaning; from the use of “bitchin’” meaning first rate or excellent to the concept of “head bitch in charge” meaning a woman who doesn’t need approval from a collective group to feel empowered. I attribute this to pop culture and feminism. I believe that in the 1970s-1980s, worked to reclaim the word “bitch” so that it doesn’t hold the same weight as it used to. This has been done before with gay people reclaiming “faggot” or African Americans reclaiming “nigger.” By using the word that once held dominance over the collective, they are diminishing the meaning of the word and making it their own.
            In pop culture, the magazine Bitch worked to reclaim the word and use it in a feminist way. Bitch Magazine acted as a “feminist guide through pop culture” and promotes healthy views on women’s rights and issues. Further, pop music like “Bitch Is Back” by Elton John and “Bitch” by Meredith Brooks made the word more publicize in new light. Elton John diminished the power to the word by equating it back to himself and Meredith Brooks reclaimed the word by simply accepting that she was a bitch and uses it on herself: “ I’m a bitch/I’m a lover/I’m a child/I’m a mother.”
            Today, bitch is arguably one of the most commonly used swear words in the English language. From the iconic line “it’s Britney, bitch” where, in 2007 at the height of her mental breakdown, used the word bitch to show her dominance over everyone. By referring to the audience as bitches, she exudes the power, and with this being a very rough time for the starlet – she made the audience also seem to be mentally instable being that she was “in control” in the scenario and the rest were merely wild bitches.
            Bitch is best summarized by Jo Freeman, feminist attorney and author of Bitch Manifesto:
"A Bitch takes shit from no one. You may not like her, but you cannot ignore her....[Bitches] have loud voices and often use them. Bitches are not pretty....Bitches seek their identity strictly thru themselves and what they do. They are subjects, not objects...Often they do dominate other people when roles are not available to them which more creatively sublimate their energies and utilize their capabilities. More often they are accused of domineering when doing what would be considered natural by a man."

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (4th Edition)

1:33 AM Michael Cotter 0 Comments

"bitch - (n.) 1. a female canine animal, especially a dog. 2. Offensive a. A woman considered to be spiteful or overbearing. b. a lewd woman. c. a man considered to be weak or contemptible. 3. Slang a. A complaint. b. Something very unpleasant or difficult.

bitch - (v.) [bitched, bitching, bitches] Slang - intr. To complain; grumble. - tr. To botch; bungle. Often used with 'up' [Middle English bicche, from Old English bicce]

bitchen - (adj.) Slang variant of bitchin'

bitchery - (n.) Malicious remarks or spiteful behavior

bitchin' - (adj.) Slang Excellent; first rate.

bitchy - (adj.) Slang 1. malicious, spiteful, or overheating 2. in a bad mood; irritable or cranky. [bitchily, bitchiness]"

- from "The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language 4th Edition"

"Understanding 'American Girl'" - A Project In Review

11:13 PM Michael Cotter 0 Comments

7:01 PM Michael Cotter 0 Comments

A Game of Telephone

7:13 AM Michael Cotter 0 Comments

The past few weeks, my linguistics class has been able to collaborate with the ELS department so that we could work on understanding languages other than English. This was mutually beneficial for the ELS students who got to then learn casual or slang English phraseology from primary English speakers.
I was able to have individualized conversations with men and women who spoke Arabic, Spanish, and Portuguese. In my experiences, I was able to grow to understand the love, passion, and determination behind why these students were interested in English.
Lody, a woman from Panama, said that she was learning English because it was an uncommon language in her home area and by learning English she would be able to benefit herself and the advancement of her career.
Another guy I got to speak with primarily spoke Arabic and he was learning English for fun and because he liked Taylor Swift and wanted to understand what she was saying.
I had great conversations about culture, jobs, and media with all of the students who got to come by our class and look forward to doing something like this again in the future.

Biography of a Word Project - "Bitch"

3:03 PM Michael Cotter 0 Comments

Rubric & Grade Sheet for Lingustisics Midterm

12:00 PM Michael Cotter 0 Comments

Some "Alyssa-isms" for Your Consideration

10:18 PM Michael Cotter 0 Comments

For me, there's nothing more fun than learning a new word for phrase. I think it's so fun to use language to it's full extent and so does Miss. Alyssa Edwards. "All of you know I like to make my own words up, honey, and some make sense, some don't, and some almost do; so I'm gonna go ahead and define some of the rompery that comes out of my mouth... I was gonna say bullsh*t..."

Here's a clip of some Alyssa-isms so that you can learn some interesting phrases and pull them out and goop your friends. *Clip contains explicit language

11:42 AM Michael Cotter 0 Comments

         So, as many American's do, I took my day off of school and work to a: honor Dr. Martain Luther King and instagram a beautiful quote of his and b: to lounge around my house watching reality tv shows and wondering why I don't star in one yet. 
          Between my channel surfing, I stumbled upon the OWN network where I thought Opera would grant me the serenity to binge watch the Shania Twain reality show, Why Not with Shania Twain. In the series, Shania preps for her, then, upcoming engagement at Caesar's Palace in Vegas and tries to find her voice. According to the series, she's lost her voice and been unable to sing for unknown reasons so she embarks on a journey to find her voice, her confidence, and her self. 

           In this episode, particularly around the 20 minute mark, Shania goes to a series of five vocal doctors and gets a better look at her windpipe and vocal cords. Ultimately she is diagnosed with dysphonia which is where the muscles around the throat apply pressure to the vocal box causing discomforting pressure and the inability to produce vocal sounds - something not desired by singers to say the least. I found it incredibly fascinating, as did Shania - hey girl!, that one set of vocal chords could and would require so many specialists. When you really think about the human body and the complexities within it I suppose it makes sense but something so minute and seemingly simple could require so many different doctors is astonishing. 
          So how does this all tie into linguistics? I guess the point I'm trying to make relates back to the first day of my linguistics class where my teacher, Dr. Walts, forced encouraged the class to try to make as many sounds as we could using only certain parts of our mouths, throat, and lungs. It was really interesting to break-down the way words are said and used in the English language and how much effort goes into the pronunciation of words. For Shania, the show allowed me to get a better look at the vocal chords and the system around them and how they move to make sounds. It's really interesting to see her try to sing and the vocal cords adjust to make the noises and notes.