Word-Formation Strategies of Contemporary Slang: A Case Study on NIKI’s Nicole Album
Keywords:
Word-formation, Slang, Niki, Nicole AlbumAbstract
This study discusses the word-formation processes of slang words found in selected songs from NIKI’s Nicole album, there are Backburner, Take A Chance with Me, and High School in Jakarta. The study aims to: (1) analyze the types of slang word-formation processes based on George Yule’s theory used in the selected songs, (2) analyze the meanings of the slang words, and (3) identify the most dominant word-formation process used in the lyrics. This research employs a descriptive qualitative method using observation as the data collection method and a distributional method for data analysis. The theories applied in this research are George Yule’s (2006) theory of word formation and Geoffrey Leech’s theory of meaning. The results of the analysis reveal five types of word-formation processes: compounding, derivation, clipping, conversion, and coinage. Among these processes, compounding becomes the most dominant, occurring 44 times, with forms such as backburner, high school, and love-hate. Derivation ranks second with 20 occurrences, followed by clipping with 11 occurrences, while conversion and coinage appear 5 and 2 times respectively. The findings indicate that the lyrics strongly utilize compact, expressive, and informal linguistic forms to convey emotional meaning and support rhythmic effectiveness in musical discourse. Furthermore, the analysis of meaning shows that slang expressions in the songs reflect conversational language, emotional intimacy, and contemporary youth expression. This study highlights how word-formation processes and semantic meaning contribute to the stylistic and artistic characteristics of contemporary song lyrics.
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