Taras 

Shevchenko National University of Kyiv

Institute of Philology

Department of English Philology and Intercultural Communication

“ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS IN ENGLISH SLANG” 

  

Course paper 

written by the 2nd year student,

4th English group 

of Bachelor’s programme

“English Studies and Two Foreign Languages”

Bezuhla Tetiana

Supervised by 

Olena Popivniak, PhD

Kyiv – 2022
 CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………….

1. THEORETICAL ASPECTS OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS………

1.1.Definition and general characteristics of abbreviations and acronyms……………
1.2.Definition and general characteristics of slang…………………............................
1.3.Classifications of abbreviations………………………...........................................
2. SPECIFIC FEATURES OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS……………
2.1.Analysis of abbreviations in the movie universe "Star Wars"…………………….
2.2.The use of slang abbreviations.………....................................................................

CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………………..

REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………………..
 INTRODUCTION

Language is a gift that only people can use, and the benefit of which for the
development of cultures and nations cannot be overestimated. This is a living structure,
the development of which has always attracted more and more researchers and
scientists. In recent years, it has begun to develop at an even faster rate than ever. Every
year, a huge number of new words are added to the dictionaries of many languages of
the world. Among them, abbreviations, acronyms, and other types of abbreviations have
long been present. For example, in English, the word "doh" that was made famous by
Homer Simpson on The Simpsons became an official word in the Oxford English
Dictionary, "used to comment on a foolish or stupid action, especially one's own." The
same situation happened with the abbreviation "Give me the 411", which the online
dictionary "Urban dictionary" translates as "Give me information"[17]. Undoubtedly, all
abbreviations, like the language itself as a whole, make it possible to better understand
both the culture of the people and their traditions.
It is worth noting that "Abbreviations and letter symbols are used to save space
and to avoid distracting the reader by use of repetitious words or phrases." [10; p. 222].
But it is important not to forget that it was the development of the Internet that pushed
society to create a "separate" language for communication in it. Therefore, we can also
say that using acronyms and abbreviations in everyday speech makes communication
easier and faster. Because it takes less time to say or write the first initial of each word
or an abbreviated form of the full word than to spell out every single word.
The object of the research is abbreviations and acronyms in Modern English.
The subject of this work is specific features of formation and usage of abbreviations
and acronyms in modern English slang. The objective of the research is to study the
concepts of abbreviations and acronyms, their diversity, classification; to analyze the
structural features of the formation of abbreviations and acronyms, and their usage in
modern English slang.
Given the fact that abbreviations and acronyms in wide use in the language began
to appear only in the middle of the 20th century, quite few authors covered this topic.
This is why every new work that explores the use and classification of these linguistic
structures is of great value for the study of language development in general. That is
why the subject of this work is of great relevance today.
Research methods are based on the method of critical analysis of theoretical
works of various scientists, descriptive, comparative and generalizing methods. The
novelty of the research lies in the study of the formation of abbreviations and acronyms
and the determination of the prerequisites for the formation of one or another of their
classifications. Supporting material for the work will be taken from popular Internet
sites, the subject of which is the study of the spread of Internet slang around the world,
the study of the mechanisms of origin of certain abbreviations or acronyms. Dictionaries
and books will also serve as material for the work for the correct definition of terms.
Also as supporting material for this work the examples from the movie universe of Star
Wars, thematic encyclopedias, books, and the slang language of heroes from films,
comics and games were selected.

1. THEORETICAL ASPECTS OF ABREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

1.1. Definition and general characteristics of abbreviations and acronyms

In today's world, many things change at a very fast rate. All new inventions are
driving progress in the age of technology. On the basis of this, the language lives and
develops. Every year, more and more new words, terms, definitions, as well as new
abbreviations and acronyms are introduced into the language. Today, each language has
its own slang abbreviations, but, probably, English is one of the richest in this regard.
New words in English appear so quickly that they sometimes clog up the language. And
the age of technology and rapid development contributes to an increase in the number of
abbreviations in the language.
It is worth noting that one of those inventions that changed the course of language
development was the Internet. But the internet is not the only technological
phenomenon that has changed the way we talk. Radio, television, and telephones have
introduced their fair share of new words and phrases into our lexicon over the last
century. But as people spend more time online, they spend less time listening to the
radio and watching TV - and smartphones have blurred the line between phone and
internet. At this point, the internet is likely the most prevalent influence on our day-to-
day dialogue.
It is believed that the language itself changes rather slowly. But it is precisely the
Internet trends, mass media, radio and television that are the strongest driver of the
rapid development of the language. As David Crystal, honorary professor of linguistics
at the University of Bangor said BBC News: "Language itself changes slowly, but the
internet has sped up the process of those changes so people notice them more quickly."
Abbreviation is now trending in some languages. People use abbreviation as they
do not have any word to show a concept of some words in other languages. Moreover,
people need the effectiveness of a long phrase. People, for example, tend to use ASEAN
for Association of South East Asian Nation. It is easier to say the abbreviation than the
origin words or phrase.
Very little has been written on research into the use of acronyms and
abbreviation, but Kakoli Majumder writes: "Abbreviations are shortened forms of words
and phrases and are a common occurrence in research manuscripts as they can help
make highly complex technical writing more concise and easier to read." [8] In his work
Eline Rozaliya Winarto defines the abbreviation as: "Abbreviation is a process of one or
more lexeme removal or combining lexemes into a new word" [11, p. 55]. For the
designation of this concept, it is also worth referring to the online dictionary "Merriam-
webster", which defines this term as "An abbreviation is a shortened form of a written
word or phrase."[15].
By examining different definitions of the term abbreviation, it can be concluded
that an abbreviation is an abbreviated form of a written word or phrase in order to make
complex text more concise and easier to read by moving one or more lexemes or
combining lexemes into a new word.
There are no difficulties in understanding the meaning of an abbreviation because
people use it in their daily life. People will find the difficulties only when the
abbreviation is used only for specific community as their jargon. That is why it is worth
adhering to certain rules for the use of abbreviations, so that there are no incidental
situations in everyday life. These 4 rules for the use of abbreviations in written text
were developed by Kakoli Majumder [8]:
1. At the first mention, the abbreviation should be deciphered. This is especially true for
communication using slang English, since a large number of new such abbreviations
appear at a very high speed. And accordingly, not every person is able to know all of
them.
2. Many written texts, especially in popular genres such as magazines, newspapers or
any online resources, have their own rules for the use of abbreviations and abbreviations
of different types. For example, in some magazines, the rules of use state that an
abbreviation for a concept can be replaced only if it is used more than three times. Other
online resources or newspapers may have a separate list of which abbreviations can be
used without special decoding. Slang abbreviations of any kind are often included in
such lists.
3. It is also important to adhere to the general accepted style of use. For example, in
some written sources, the rules contain recommendations not to start a paragraph or a
sentence with abbreviations. This paragraph also includes the fact that a persone need to
pay attention to whether abbreviations should be used in lower or upper case letters.
4. It is also worth paying special attention to the use of abbreviations such as "eg", "ie"
and "et al." Incorrect dot placement or spelling in the wrong case can be considered a
serious error.
Acronym is used in almost each language. The usage of acronym is for the
reason of effectiveness. People, recently, are in a hurry in doing their activities. They
tend to shorten everything, thus acronym exists. R. S. Ginzburg states in his work that
"Acronyms are regular vocabulary units spoken as words."[3, p. 189].
In his work, can be also seen the statement that acronyms and letter abbreviations
are lexical abbreviations of a phrase, among them there are different types, but there is
no consensus among scientists whether all of them can be considered regular
vocabulary units. Nevertheless, it seems logical to distinguish between acronyms and
letter abbreviations [3, p.189].
It is also worth noting that the Oxford Online Dictionary gives roughly the same
definition: "Acronym is a word formed from the first letters of the words that make up
the name of something, for example 'AIDS' is an acronym for 'acquired immune
deficiency syndrome' "[16].
There is also the definition from the Cambridge Online Dictionary: "An acronym
is an abbreviation consisting of the first letters of each word in the name of something,
pronounced as a word"[12].
Despite the fact that the definitions of acronyms and abbreviation are seemed
similar, there are several differences between them. It is worth noting that the concept
of abbreviation is used by linguists not only in the meaning mentioned above, but also
in its narrower meaning. An abbreviation in the broad sense of the term is a shortened
form of a word or phrase formed using a variety of methods. However, the abbreviation
in the narrower sense of the term is a subspecies of the abbreviation, formed from the
first letters of words, which is used mainly in writing. It is called lexical abbreviation.
From the above, we can also conclude that an acronym is also a subspecies of the broad
concept of an abbreviation, but still has one main difference. They also consist of initial
letters or sounds, but unlike abbreviations, they are pronounced together, like a normal
word.
A description of this difference is given by the online dictionary "Merriam-
webster" [15]. An acronym is a kind of abbreviation. Abbreviations can be shortened
forms of any kind. For example, appt is an abbreviation of appointment, and ASAP is
an abbreviation of as soon as possible. ASAP, however, also qualifies as an acronym
because it is made up of the initial letters of the phrase it comes from: as soon as
possible."
Also, the same dictionary describes the difference between an acronym and
initialism, a subspecies of the broad concept of an abbreviation. "Both acronyms and
initialisms are made up of the first letter or letters of the words in a phrase. The word
acronym typically applies when the resulting thing can be read as a word; for example,
radar comes from "radio detection and ranging" and scuba comes from "self-contained
underwater breathing apparatus." The word initialism only applies when the resulting
thing is read as an abbreviation; for example DIY, which comes from "do it yourself," is
pronounced by saying the names of the letters. Note that the word acronym is also
sometimes used to mean "initialism."

1.2. Definition and general characteristics of slang

As technology advances, the world is entering a new chapter that is increasingly
dominated by internet culture. Most social interactions of people are now influenced by
dynamic social media platforms, the desire to be unique, to be heard and understood
correctly. That is why the slang language is now becoming so popular that many people
already use slang words and do not even think about the fact that certain abbreviations
or phrases refer specifically to the slang language.
The internet is not the only technological phenomenon that has changed the way
people talk. Radio, television, and telephones have introduced their fair share of new
words and phrases into our lexicon over the last century. However, today it is internet
trends that come and go very quickly. The fast pace of change on the internet means
people are adopting more words faster than ever before. "Language itself changes
slowly, but the internet has sped up the process of those changes so people notice them
more quickly," [5]. It is hard to imagine how much longer it took new words to spread
through word-of-mouth than it does today with the internet.
Julie Coleman, points out the same trend in an interview with Oxford University
Press: "It's not necessarily that language is changing more quickly, but technologies
have developed and they allow the transmission of slang terms to pass from one group
to another much more quickly."[1].
The secret of a new word's success is its longevity. To make it into the dictionary,
the general population must use it and keep using it. A word must be in use for at least
five years to be considered.
It is said that the group of scientists looks for evidence that a word has been in
use for at least five years before it can earn its place in the dictionary. Such evidence
comes in the form of correspondence from the public and trawling through dated
material to find out when a term first started appearing. Some entirely new words like
the verb 'to google', or look something up on a search engine, and the noun 'app', used to
describe programs for smartphones (not yet in the OED - Oxford English Dictionary),
have either been recently invented or come into popular use [5].
Here are the most popular definitions of slang. The online Oxford-based Lexico
dictionary defines "slang" as "a type of language consisting of words and phrases that
are regarded as very informal, are more common in speech than writing, and are
typically restricted to a particular context or group of people" [14].
There are also other well-known dictionaries that give different definitions of
slang and its characteristics. For example, the online Cambridge Dictionary defines this
concept as "vocabulary that is used between people who belong to the same social
group and who know each other well. Slang is very informal language. It can offend
people if it is used about other people or outside a group of people who know each other
well. People usually use slang in speaking rather than writing. Slang normally refers to
particular words and meanings but can include longer expressions and idioms." [12].
 Online dictionary "Merriam-webster" defines slang as "an informal nonstandard
vocabulary composed typically of coinages, arbitrarily changed words, and extravagant,
forced, or facetious figures of speech" [15].
The Collins online dictionary defines slang as something that consists of words,
expressions, and meanings that are informal and are used by people who know each
other very well or who have the same interests [13].
In addition to the fact that slang reduces the time it takes to write certain words on
the network, and simply makes life easier for many, it is worth mentioning that not a
single new word can enter the vocabulary of people if it does not initially meet the
needs of the social group for which it was invented.
Well and clearly the root of this problem is described by the Encyclopedia
Britannica. D.W. Maurer writes, “Slang emanates from conflicts in values, sometimes
superficial, often fundamental. When an individual applies language in a new way to
express hostility, ridicule, or contempt, often with sharp wit, he may be creating slang,
but the new expression will perish unless it is picked up by others. If the speaker is a
member of a group that finds that his creation projects the emotional reaction of its
members toward an idea, person, or social institution, the expression will gain currency
according to the unanimity of attitude within the group. A new slang term is usually
widely used in a subculture before it appears in the dominant culture.” [9].
When characterizing slang, it is also worth mentioning how it is formed. The
processes by which words become slang are the same as those by which other words in
the language change their form or meaning or both. Some of these are the employment
of metaphor, simile, folk etymology, distortion of sounds in words, generalization,
specialization, clipping, the use of acronyms, elevation and degeneration, borrowings
from foreign languages.
It is also worth noting that slang owes much of its power to shock to the
superimposition of images that are incongruous with images (or values) of others,
usually members of the dominant culture. Slang is most popular when its imagery
develops incongruity bordering on social satire. Every slang word, however, has its own
history and reasons for popularity. When conditions change, the term may change in
meaning, be adopted into the standard language, or continue to be used as slang within
certain enclaves of the population.

1.3. Classifications of abbreviations and acronyms

Abbreviations are used especially often in English. This is clearly visible to
foreigners studying English. Already at the first stages of acquaintance with the
language, abbreviations appear: for example, Mr and Mrs, e.g., a.m., abbreviations of
the days of the week and months. And in the process of learning, they become more and
more.
At the moment, it is safe to say that many abbreviations existing in other
languages came from English, and we already know their meanings: IQ, FAQ, VIP,
P.S., SOS. But there are other unfamiliar abbreviations that are important to know:
ASAP, DOB, i.e., AD.
It is because of the abundance of a huge number of abbreviations in the English
language that a certain classification of them was indicated. Although this classification
of abbreviations in English is rather arbitrary, various types of abbreviations occupy a
significant place in English journalistic, scientific and professional texts. Since they
function independently, are recorded in lexicographic sources, and often become better
known than their sources, they can be considered lexical units of the language. This
classification does not have any weight for interpersonal communication, but it does
matter to linguists who study this topic in depth.
As stated earlier, abbreviations and acronyms are lexical abbreviations of a
phrase. There are different types of abbreviations, but many scholars do not consider
them regular vocabulary units. But it is considered logical to distinguish between letter
abbreviations and acronyms. As R. S. Ginzburg writes, "Letter abbreviations are mere
replacements of longer phrases including names of well-known organizations of
undeniable currency, names of agencies and institutions, political parties, famous
people, names of official offices, etc. They are not spoken or treated as words but
pronounced letter by letter and as a rule possess no other linguistic forms proper to
words." [3, p. 189]. This type of abbreviation can be illustrated with examples such as,
  CIA for Central Intelligence Agency
 FYI for Your Information
 PR for Public Relations
It should also be noted that the boundary between letter abbreviations and
acronyms is quite blurred, since it primarily depends on how these word formations are
used by society in communication.
R. S. Ginzburg also notes that "Occasionally letter abbreviations are given
'pronunciation spelling' as for instance dejay (= D.J. = disc jokey), emce (= M.C. =
master of ceremonies) in which case they tend to pass over into true acronyms." [3, p.
189].
The latter can also be given examples such as,
 PIN - personal identification number (code for bank card)
 RAM - random access memory (computer memory)
 SIM – subscriber identification module (card for mobile phone)
There are also several other classifications of abbreviations. Kakhovskaya L.F.
gives the following classification of abbreviations [4, p. 24]:
1. Abbreviations of the initial type are abbreviations made up of the initial letters of the
components of a phrase.
2. Abbreviations of the syllabic type, which are composed of the initial syllables of the
words that make up the phrase. For example:
nem.con. – from latin – nemine contradicente – without objection
libs – liberals 
3. Abbreviations of mixed type, combining elements of the two previous ones. For
example:
Rt. Hon – Right Honourable
4. Abbreviations from a combination of the initial part (letter) of a word with a whole
word that has not been abbreviated.
Н-bomb – hydrogen bomb
Н-bag – hand bag
X-card – Christmas card
5. Abbreviations from a combination of the beginning of the first word with the
beginning and end of the second, or only with the end of the second.
motel – motorists' hotel
The first type of abbreviations is also divided into:
a) sound-type abbreviations that read like simple words, the stress falls on the first
syllable. For example:
UFO – unidentified flying object
USA – United States of America
b) abbreviations of the letter type, which are pronounced in accordance with the names
of letters in the alphabet, the stress in such an abbreviation falls on the last syllable. For
example:
BST – British Summer Time 
CAB – Citizens Advice Bureau.
Andrew Edwards gives another classification that more fully and simplistically
describes the different types of abbreviations. He identifies 4 types of abbreviations [2]:
 initialism
 acronym
 shortening
 contraction
He explains the difference between each type and the rules for writing abbreviations
depending on their type.
Initialism:
 Initialism is formed from the first letters of a group of words.
FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation
ASAP – as soon as possible
CD – compact disc
 In Initialism we pronounce each letter individually.
 If the first letters of the full form of initialism are capitalized, then we always
write the abbreviation in capital letters, but if the first letters of the initialism
 decoding are not capitalized, then we can write the abbreviation itself either in
capital letters or in small letters.
Acronyms:
 As previously stated, acronyms are formed from the first letters of a group of
words.
NASA – National Aeronautical and Space Administration
NATO – North American Treaty Organisation
OPEC – Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries
 The main difference between initialism and an acronym is that we pronounce the
latter as a word.
 The spelling rules for acronyms are the same as for initialisms. If the first letters
of the full form are capital letters, then we always write the acronym with capital
letters.
Shortenings:
A shortening is an abbreviation in which the beginning or end of the word has
been omitted.
In the article the author highlights 2 types of such abbreviations:
- those that are treated as real words:
ad – advertisement (to promote a product or service)
app – application (software)
flu – influenza (an illness)
blog – weblog (a type of website)
- those that are not treated as real words:
Feb. – February
Sat. – Saturday
etc. – et cetera (Latin for “and the rest”)
We write, pronounce and treat the first type of abbreviation as a separate word
(for example, ad - advertisement), in such an abbreviation the use of a dot would be a
gross mistake.
 The second type of abbreviation is used only in writing, but when we say it, we
usually read the full version of the word. Most often, such abbreviations are used for
informal communication, or in slang language. The first letter of a type 2 shortening is a
capital letter only if the full word starts with a capital letter.
Contractions:
Contractions are abbreviations in which we omit letters from the middle of a
word. We do NOT write a full stop at the end of a contraction. The first letter is a
capital letter only if the full word starts with a capital letter.
There are two types of Contractions:
- missing letters from 1 word:
Dr – Doctor
govt – government
St – Saint
Mr – Mister
- missing letters from more than 1 word (in this case we use an apostrophe to represent
the missing letters)
he‘s – he is
they‘d – they would
I‘ve – I have
To sum up, abbreviations and acronyms are of great importance for native
speakers, simplifying and speeding up speech. The theoretical background of this topic
has not yet been fully explored, as abbreviations are added to the language every year.
Quite often they may require new classifications and new research, since the language is
a living organism that develops and is filled with new expressions. In this chapter
quotations from existing research by authors such as R. S. Ginzburg, Kakoli Majumder
and Andrew Edwards are used, as well as definitions of abbreviations and acronyms
from dictionaries such as "Merriam-webster", the Oxford Online Dictionary, and the
Cambridge Online Dictionary. In addition to defining abbreviations and acronyms and a
certain classification of abbreviations, the first chapter introduces several rules for using
all abbreviations in writing in order to avoid misunderstandings in interpersonal
communication. The rules are designed by Kakoli Majumder. For the study of slang in
the English language, the works of such authors as D.W. Maurer, Julie Coleman were
used, as well as definitions from such dictionaries as the online Oxford-based Lexico
dictionary, the online Cambridge Dictionary, online dictionary "Merriam-webster" and
the Collins online dictionary. In the Encyclopedia Britannica D.W. Maurer also
describes the origins of slang and its development.
 2. SPECIFIC FEATURES OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
2.1. Analysis of abbreviations in the movie universe "Star Wars"

Based on the Andrew Edwards’ classification of abbreviations, an analysis was

made of the abbreviations that were used in the Star Wars movie universe. The second
classification was used because it is more up-to-date and more complete than all the
others that were reviewed during the analysis.
The study of abbreviations and acronyms used in Star Wars is new and
unparalleled. In this movie universe, you can find all kinds of abbreviations given in the
existing classification. As illustrative material, all parts of the Star Wars movie, books,
comics and video games that relate to this movie universe are taken.
Initial abbreviations are quite common in the speech of the heroes; they are also
used for the names of the types of military equipment of that universe. The largest
number of examples can be found in the encyclopedia "Galaxy Guide 9: Fragments
from the Rim" [27, p. 17]
 ABH - Average Bounty Hunter, though could also mean an above-average bounty
hunter.
 BH - Bounty hunter.
 CB - Cybernetic Bronchitis = Darth Vader.
 GS - Groundshaker = term for an Imperial AT-AT walker.
 GUB - Great Uncle Boba, referring to Boba Fett.
 KSA - Kinky Silver Armor = term for an Imperial radtrooper.
 NRU - Nice Red Uniform = slang for Imperial Royal Guardsmen.
 PSC - Plastic Soldier Carrier = term for an Imperial AT-AT walker.
 U.C.T. - Universal Cutting Tool = Lightsaber.
Examples of initial abbreviations are also found among the names of weapons,
 EMP grenade - electromagnetic pulse grenade.
 ECD - Electrostatic Charge Detonator
 IRD starfighters - Intercept Reconnaissance Defense
 GAR - The Grand Army of the Republic
  ISB - The Imperial Security Bureau
 AT-TE - The All Terrain Tactical Enforcer
 AT-ST - The All Terrain Scout Transport
 SBD - Abbreviation for Super Battle Droid
 SSD - Abbreviation for Super Star Destroyer
Also, initial abbreviations can be found in general “galactic” terms,
 'ABY-BBY' (dating system) - After/Before Battle of Yavin
 FTL - "faster than light".
"AT-STs will no longer be deployed on planets with an abundance of trees or other
known obstacles such as rock-wielding primitives." [19, p.13].
"We had the Battle of Gormen won, until the AT-ATs arrived. They came out of the fog
and ripped apart the front lines. The locals ran in terror, but the experienced soldiers
surrendered. We knew that you can't outrun an AT-AT." [19, p. 9].
"Sure, they don't look like much. But when you're trapped on Eos, where the
electromagnetic fields keep 'advanced' airspeeders grounded, you'll wish you had a
whole fleet of AT-PTs." [19, p. 11].
"In the galaxy's northern quadrant, the galaxy's megacorps tried to speed up the
stubbornly slow pace of settlement with the establishment of the Outer Expansion Zone
around 700 BBY." [25, p. 6].
Acronyms, like all subsequent types, are quite few in use in Star Wars. Most of
them can only be found in encyclopedias, books and dictionaries. Some of them belong
to the slang language.
 BLOB - "big lump on board"; clone trooper slang for a useless civilian.
 FIDO - "forget it, drive on"; clone trooper slang.
 MPI - a bomber crew slang for the Mean Point of Impact.
 LED - "light-emitting diode."
 Ord - Ordnance/Regional Depot. Often used as an element in place names, for
instance Ord Mantell, Ord Cestus, or Ord Pardron.
The most interesting fact is that the well-known word Jedi is also an example of an
acronym. It stands for justice, equity, diversity and inclusion, and is pronounced as one
word.
"For a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice
in the Old Republic." [31].
In use, can be also found such acronyms that are easily confused with initial
abbreviations, but either the pronunciation of abbreviations is often indicated by
encyclopedia authors, or the abbreviation can be written in existing quotations as one
word, which defines it as an acronym.
 Cee-cee - pronunciation of the acronym for "Command Center" (CC).
 Deece - slang term commonly used by the Grand Army of the Republic in
reference to DC-series blasters.
 RC - acronym for "Republic commando."
"Time in the field tends to pepper a clone's language with military jargon, slang, (…)
and acronyms such as such as BLOB, which means 'big lump on board (or useless
civilian) and FIDO, which means “forgets it, drive on” [20, p.12].
"Nice Deece. Ion pulse blaster, RPG anti-armor, and sniper?"
"Yeah. Full house." [31].
"Ord Canfre surrenders" [31].
In the classification that is taken as a basis, the author divides Contractions into
two categories, those where letters are skipped within one word and those where letters
are skipped from more than one word. The author also notes that in the second form, the
resulting Contractions can often be separated by an apostrophe in place of missing
letters. The Contractions are rarely used in the movie saga, and most of the examples
found are of the second type:
 Braze - "brown haze" = air pollution
 Catnot - "categorically not" = term for Kashyyyk.
 Maxmag - maximum magnification, as in "Maxmag that," which means
"Magnify that."
 Rawmat - corporate slang for "raw materials."
  Vidlink - "video link."
 Comlink - communication link
"Obi-Wan stands outside the Naboo spacecraft, speaking into his comlink."
"Qui-Gon listens to his comlink. Obi-Wan is in the cockpit."[31]
"Vader said, "I am not interested in your emergencies. I wish to speak to Hekis.
Establish a vidlink now -- or shall we go visit him personally?" Fourex paused again,
hesitating, then finally he said, "I will establish a vidlink. I'm certain I can connect you.
Have no fear." [18, p.40].
"Braze, a term describing a type of pollution characterized by a brown haze. " [26, p.
92].
Shortenings in use in the slang language of heroes, in encyclopedias and films
were practically not found. However, summing up, the analysis allows us to draw some
conclusions about the percentage of the use of all types of abbreviations in the Star
Wars cinematic universe. Initial abbreviations are used the most (around 57%),
acronyms are the second most common (26%), and Contractions are third (17%).

2.2 The use of slang abbreviations.

The work will also consider examples of specific most popular slang
abbreviations in informal communication. For this, examples from the film industry
(Films „From Dusk till dawn“, “Forest Gump”, “Star Wars: New Hope”, “The Fast and
the Furious 4”) and show business (Songs "Crazy", “Call me A. S. A. P.”, “Best Friends
Forever”) will be used, since the culture of a society reflects the traditions and
characteristics of this society.
The first group includes words in which the abbreviation occurs according to the
principle of Shortenings, which are formed by cutting off the second part of the word,
after which a connected letter is added to the words, for convenience and speed during
speech. For example:
- Gonna = going to
- Gotta = (have) got to
- Wanna = want to
- Oughta = ought to
In cinematography, there can be found a huge amount of use of these slang
abbreviations. Here are a few of them:
“Earl McGraw : Jesus H. Christ, Pete. When you gonna learn that microwave food'll
kill you faster than a bullet?” [22].
“- They're going to nape the whole area. Stay here! That's an order!
- I gotta find Bubba!” [21].
“If we can avoid any more female advice, we oughta get out of here.”[24].
The following popular examples can be added to the abbreviations of this group:
- A lotta = a lot of, lotsa = lots of
- Kinda = kind of
- Sorta = sort of
In them, in addition to the principle of formation of Shortenings, one can single out the
sound [a] as a frequent variant of the reduction of the particle "of". A similar
abbreviation is also used to speed up informal speech.
“- You know a guy named Jim Garcia?
-Nah. Big place. Lotsa names, lotsa faces. And you, you're wanted by a lotta people,
homes.”[23].
“That kinda loving turns a man to a slave.\That kinda loving sends a man right to his
grave.” [30].
Another group of the most popular slang abbreviations include the following examples:
- ASAP = as soon as possible
- BFN = Bye for Now
- BBF = Best Friend Forever
These abbreviations are formed according to the principle of initial abbreviations
and are almost the most popular in slang, informal use. They are formed from the first
letters of the expression. Here are some examples of their use in songs:
“Call me, ASAP. I need you.\See you, baby.\I can’t wait much longer.”[29].
B-F-F, we are true, true, true friends. \B-F-F, friendship never e-ends.[28].
 Summing up, in this chapter it has been analyzed the use of all kinds of
abbreviations in the Star Wars movie saga. The percentage ratio of the use of different
types of abbreviations in the studied material was determined. An analysis was also
made of the use of the most common abbreviations in the film industry (Films "From
Dusk till dawn", "Forest Gump", "Star Wars: New Hope", "The Fast and the Furious 4")
and show business (Songs "Crazy", "Call me A.S.A.P.”, “Best Friends Forever”).
 CONCLUSION
The object of the research is abbreviations and acronyms, which are widely used
in many areas of interpersonal communication. Further studies and investigations of this
topic are necessary because of the lack of studies covering all the aspects at once.
Moreover, the classification of abbreviations and the definition of its types are
interpreted by different scientists in different ways. Until now, it is worth noting that in
the English language there is no clear classification of abbreviations that would be
consistent between all scientists. This means that the terminology remains controversial.
It has been established that some linguists consider it logical to single out only
lexical abbreviations and acronyms (R. S. Ginzburg, S. S. Khidekel, G. Y. Knyazeva, A.
A. Sankin). At the same time, some foreign linguists also define other types of
abbreviations (Kakhovskaya, L.F.).
The first chapter is devoted to the first identified task - it provides a theoretical
justification for the definition, general characteristics of abbreviations, acronyms and
slang, functions and already existing classifications of research objects. The second,
practical part is devoted directly to the consideration of the ways of forming
abbreviations and their types, as well as the analysis of examples of their use in the
everyday life of native speakers.
In general terms, abbreviations are divided into: lexical abbreviations, acronyms,
shortenings, and contractions.
But in the course of the study, it turned out that, taking into account the constant
development of the language, new abbreviations also appear in the everyday life of
native speakers. It is difficult to attribute them to one of these types. Such abbreviations
include, for example, H-bomb, H-bag, X-card.
In this research the use of all kinds of abbreviations in the Star Wars movie saga
has been analyzed. The percentage ratio of the use of different types of abbreviations in
the studied material was determined. It was determined that initial abbreviations made
up 57% of the viewed supporting material, acronyms made up 26%, and contractions
made up 17%.
 After the study of the slang language, it is also worth noting that the topic of
using abbreviations will always be relevant for native English speakers and for
researchers of this language. Since abbreviations are an effective option to simplify and
speed up interpersonal communication.
 REFERENCES
1. Coleman J. The Life of Slang, Oxford Academic (Oxford University Press), on
February 17, 2012 URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkAwIVoNUx0
2. Edwards A. The article "Types of English abbreviations", the Crown Academy of
English online school, 2017, URL:
https://www.crownacademyenglish.com/types-english abbreviations/#comments
3. Ginzburg R. S., Khidekel S. S., Knyazeva G. Y., Sankin A. A. „A COURSE IN
MODERN ENGLISH LEXICOLOGY” SECOND EDITION, Revised and
Enlarged, 1979, cтр. 189-191
4. Kakhovskaya L.F. Abbreviation as a way of word formation, dissertation, Ph.D.
philol. Sciences, L.F. Kakhovskaya. - Minsk, 2004. - 24 p.
5. Kleinman Z. How the internet is changing language, BBC News Technology,
2010.
6. Kolowich L. C. Article “The Evolution of Language: How Internet Slang
Changes the Way We Speak”, MBA candidate, Hubspot Blog, URL:
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-internet-changes-language
7. Lăpușneanu D. Article “45 Popular Slang Words from Around the World and
Their Meanings”, Mondly Blog, URL:
https://www.mondly.com/blog/2019/11/26/45-popular-slang-words-from-around-
the-world-and-their-meanings/
8. Majumder K. Common errors in the usage of abbreviations in scientific writing,
Editage Insights, 2019.
9. Maurer D.W. Slang, Professor of Linguistics, Encyclopaedia Britannica,
University of Louisville, Kentucky, URL: https://www.britannica.com/topic/slang
10.United States Government Publishing Office. Style Manual: An official guide to
the form and style of Federal Government publishing", Washington, DC : U.S.
Government Publishing Office, 2016, ch. 9, p. 222.
11.Winarto E. R. Modelling Abbreviation In Internet Slang: a Comparison Study of
Indonesian Internet Slang and English Internet Slang URL:
file:///D:/Modelling_Abbreviation_In_Internet_Slang_a_Compari.pdf
 DICTIONARIES

12.Cambridge online Dictionary URL: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/ru/

13.Collins online dictionary URL:
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/slang
14.Lexico online dictionary, powered by Oxford, URL:
https://www.lexico.com/definition/slang
15.Merriam-webster online dictionary, URL:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abbreviation#note-1
16.Oxford online Dictionary URL: https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/
17.Urban online dictionary URL: https://www.urbandictionary.com/

SUPPORTING MATERIALS

18.Anderson K. J. Therefore I Am: The Tale of IG-88, Published in Tales of the

Bounty Hunters, Bantam Spectra, 1996, p. 40.
19.Blackman W. H. The New Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels, Publisher
Del Rey, 2003, p. 17-20.
20.Cox T., Dunn J., Goldfarb J., Hershey St., Kappel K., Lin M., Marker J. Star
Wars: Rise of the Separatists, Publisher Fantasy Flight Games, 2019, p. 12.
21.Film “Forest Gump” URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_U-jbjWujg
22.Film „From Dusk till dawn” URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=6RF0hYk7tc8
23.Film “The Fast and the Furious 4” URL: https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/8e54384d-
b967-479c-9671-f0eb0bf273bb
24.Film “Star Wars: New Hope” URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=_430dXAID8U
25.Fry J., Wallace D. “Star Wars: The Essential Atlas”, Publisher Del Rey, 2009, p.
9.
26.Sansweet St. J., Hidalgo P., Vitas B., Wallace D., Franklin M., Kushins J.,
Cassidy Ch. The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Publisher Del Rey, 2008, p.
92.
27.Smith S. and Trautmann E. "Galaxy Guide 9: Fragments from the Rim",
Published by West End Games, 1993, p. 17-20.
28.The song “Best Friends Forever”, Lolirock, URL:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckZztGLUCss, 1:10 – 1:20
29.The song “Call me A. S. A. P.”, Whilston Hospital, URL:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FU1dLdvObQ, 0:35-1:00
30.The song "Crazy", Aerosmith, URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=NMNgbISmF4I, 0:50-1:00
31.Wookieepedia, Jedi, URL: https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Jedi