Jargon

For other uses, see Jargon (disambiguation).

Jargon or technical language is the specialized terminology associated with a particular field or area of activity.[1] Jargon is normally employed in a particular communicative context and may not be well understood outside that context. The context is usually a particular occupation (that is, a certain trade, profession, vernacular or academic field), but any ingroup can have jargon. The key characteristic that distinguishes jargon from the rest of a language is its specialized vocabulary, which includes terms and definitions of words that are unique to the context, and terms used in a narrower and more exact sense than when used in colloquial language. This can lead outgroups to misunderstand communication attempts. Jargon is sometimes understood as a form of technical slang and then distinguished from the official terminology used in a particular field of activity.[2]

The terms jargon, slang, and argot are not consistently differentiated in the literature; different authors interpret these concepts in varying ways. According to one definition, jargon differs from slang in being secretive in nature;[3] according to another understanding, it is specifically associated with professional and technical circles.[4] Some sources, however, treat these terms as synonymous.[5][6] The use of jargon became more popular around the sixteenth century attracting persons from different career paths. This led to there being printed copies available on the various forms of jargon.[7]

  1. ^ Murray, Neil (2012). Writing Essays in English Language and Linguistics: Principles, Tips and Strategies for Undergraduates. Cambridge University Press. p. 147. ISBN 9780521111195.
  2. ^ Polskaya, Svetlana (2011). "Differentiating between various categories of special vocabulary (on the material of a professionals speech of English-speaking stock exchange brokers)". In Raţă, Georgeta (ed.). Academic Days of Timişoara: Language Education Today. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 519. ISBN 9781443833165.
  3. ^ Piekot, Tomasz (2008). Język w grupie społecznej: wprowadzenie do analizy socjolektu (in Polish). Wałbrzych: Wydawnictwo Państwowej Wyższej Szkoły Zawodowej im. Angelusa Silesiusa. p. 28. ISBN 9788388425387. OCLC 297524942.
  4. ^ Forsyth, Patrick (2007). Outsmarting Your Competitors: Techniques of Sales Excellence to Build Profitable Business. Marshall Cavendish. p. 88. ISBN 9789812614483.
  5. ^ Grzenia, Jan (2005-04-25). "gwara a żargon". Poradnia PWN (in Polish). sjp.pwn.pl. Retrieved 2019-04-26.
  6. ^ Mistrík, Jozef (1993). Encyklopédia jazykovedy (in Slovak) (1 ed.). Bratislava: Obzor. p. 385. ISBN 8021502509. OCLC 29200758.
  7. ^ Stearns, Peter N., ed. (1993-12-21). Encyclopedia of Social History. doi:10.4324/9780203306352. ISBN 9781135583477.