DIFFERENCES between JERGA and ARGOT

Language is alive, each group of people uses it in a different way and there are words that do not mean the same in different parts of the planet, even if it is the same language. Related to this we find the concepts of jargon and slang, which are often confused.

Are you not sure what each one is? Then do not stop reading, because in this lesson from a TEACHER we are going to focus on the differences between slang and slang so you can easily identify and differentiate them.

First of all, in order to understand the differences between jargon and slang, we must start by defining each of them. Slang is a specific variety of language which differs from the standard language.

Therefore, jargon is a language used in a specific context and that it cannot be understood outside of it. These expressions or special words belong to a specific group or activity. They are widely used in technology, science, medicine, commerce, art, etc. In other words, they are words and expressions exclusive to a specific group that cannot be understood by other people outside of it. In addition to professional jargon, we can find social jargon. The

social jargon are those that are used for mark identity within a group determined and differentiate from others. Only people belonging to this group can understand it. In this case, it is easy to confuse it with slang.

Examples of words used in slang

Next we are going to see a few words used in slang and what they mean.

• Go through with: refers to taking charge of problems that may have arisen and dealing with them.
• Kiss the saint: used to refer to times when a person has been very lucky.
• Camel: refers to a person who is engaged in small-scale drug trafficking.
• Canute: marijuana or hashish cigarette, it is also called joint.
• Catch a melopea: get drunk.
• Toned: used as a synonym for drunk or drunk.
• Incision: used to refer to a cut made with a scalpel in medical jargon.
• Admonition: used when we want to refer to a warning made to a person by an authority.
• Hick: to refer to a person from a town who is not well adapted to the city.
• Easy peasy: it is used when we refer to something that is very easy to do and that does not present any difficulty.
• Progress: to refer to intellectuals or people on the left.
• Roll: it is used when we want to refer to something very boring or cumbersome.
• Snitch: person who informs the police about another offender in exchange for his own benefits.

We encourage you to discover more about What are slang, its definition and examples with this other lesson.

It is a colloquial variety of language, which is always used in situations that are informal and with people who share the same age or social group. Slang is a type of temporal language, that is, it remains in use for a short time and is quickly replaced by other terms or expressions. Words of this type can arise in two ways:

• Invention: a word that does not exist is used to name a concept.
• Change of meaning: an existing word is used to give it a new meaning.

Slang, therefore, is nothing more than slang used by marginal groups which aims to make it difficult for other people who are outside of said group to understand, as well as the objective of having a feeling of belonging to the group, such as a brand.

Examples of words used in slang

Next we will see a series of words widely used in slang. In this case we are going to focus on youth slang that incorporates new words and expressions every day:

• Crush: It can be defined as hang or crush and is used to point to the person they are in love with.
• In plan: it is a catchphrase that is meaningless, but widely used among young people. It can be used to start any sentence.
• Fiestuki: go to a party.
• Jai: being high.
• Jari: used to indicate that the person in question has suddenly found himself unwell.
• Wed: an unpleasant or silly person.
• Mortimer: to indicate that you are very tired.
• Parguela: person who tries hard, but does not achieve success, something that is considered by others as useless.
• Fucking: is used as a prefix to emphasize any expression that is expressed afterwards.
• Random: random.
• Hater: person who spreads his hatred on social networks.
• Troll: person who sabotages others, especially on social media.
• Ship: match two people.
• Billet: something great, very good.
• Top: the best.
• Get addicted: play video games for many hours.

Now that we know the definition of each of them, we can point out that both are two special types of language varieties, but that they present clear differences. These are the main differences between slang and slang:

• Slang is used by people who belong to a same profession or activity. It is used both orally and in writing as it is not considered informal.
• Slang is made up of words and phrases from very informal character and it is only used in oral language.

Now that you have discovered the differences between slang and jargon and their clear definitions, you may also be interested in learning about the Difference between language and dialect.