What are jargons?

Jargon is "the technical terminology or characteristic idiom of

a special activity or group". Most jargon is technical terminology
(technical terms), involving terms of art or industry terms, with
particular meaning within a specific industry.
• Jargon refers to the specialized language of a professional or occupational group. While
this language is often useful or necessary for those within the group, it is usually
meaningless to outsiders. Some professions have so much jargon of their own that it has
its own name; for example, lawyers use legalese, while academics use academese. Jargon
is also sometimes known as lingo or argot. A passage of text that is full of jargon is said to
be jargony.

• Jargon is terminology only understood by people in a certain group. Most words in the
English language are a part of common, everyday speech, understood by almost anyone
who speaks the language. However, jargon is like a type of shorthand between members
of a particular group of people, often involving words that are meaningless outside of a
certain context.
• Jargon is a type of language that is used in a particular context
and may not be well understood outside of it. The context is
usually a particular occupation (that is, a certain trade,
profession, or academic field), but any in-group can have
jargon. The main trait that distinguishes jargon from the rest of a
language is special vocabulary—including some words specific
to it and, often, narrower senses of words that out-groups would
tend to take in a broader sense.
• Purpose of Using Jargon
Jargon is used to provide more efficient communication between members of a
certain group and to show one’s own belonging to the group, though at times it can also be
used to exclude others who are not part of the group. There are many reasons for using
jargon, but the primary one is precision, words that are used only (or at least most
commonly) within a particular profession to mean something precise. Jargon serves to
create common identity among the members of the group. A specialized jargon serves not
just to label new and needed concepts, but to establish bonds between members of the in-
group. Examples of jargon used in literature, writers use jargon to make a certain character
a real one in fiction as well as in plays and poetry. Jargons can also be used to hide certain
facts so that the listener does not realize the shortfalls or aberrations. One cannot comment
if he/she cannot apprehend the language. Jargon is used for strategic purposes and it is also
used to maintain secrecy. Hence we find that different institutions have different jargons so
that the trade secrets are not revealed to the third party.
 Types of Jargon
• Medical Jargon- The medical field is filled with cryptic jargon, including innumerable
scientific terms and medical abbreviations.
Examples:
 acute - a condition that comes on suddenly
 agonal - term to signify a major, negative change in a patient's condition
 atypical - something that isn’t completely normal
 comorbid - two or more conditions that occur at the same time
 metabolic syndrome - a group of risk factors that increase the likelihood of heart attack
and stroke
 negative - results of a test that indicate a tested condition is not present
• iatrogenic - something that didn’t go as planned
• idiopathic - a condition that does not have a clear explanation of cause
• sub-therapeutic - something at a low level
• tachycardia - fast heart rate
• Business Jargon- The business world is no stranger to lingo, including a range of
industry-specific jargon. It won't take more than a few minutes on Wall Street before you
hear at least one of these terms being thrown around.
Examples:
 bang for the buck - a term that means to get the most for your money
 best practice - the best way to do something
 core competency - basic strength of a group or company
 due diligence - putting effort into research before making a business decision
 drill down - to look at a problem in detail
 low-hanging fruit - the easiest problems to fix
• scalable - an endeavor that can be expanded without a lot of additional
investment
• sweat equity - getting a stake in the business instead of pay
• the 9-to-5 - business jargon meaning a standard work day
• chief cook and bottle-washer - a person who holds many
responsibilities
• Police Jargon- Law enforcement officers and professionals have their own set.
Examples:
 10-4 - radio jargon meaning, “Okay” or “I understand”
 assumed room temperature - an individual has died
 beat - an officer’s parole area
 berries and cherries - the lights on top of a police car
 code eight - term that means officer needs help immediately
 code eleven - a code that means the individual is at the scene of the crime
 Sam Browne - a police belt
 suspect - s person whom the police think may have committed a crime
 wolf pack - A group of patrol cars traveling together
• Political jargon -jargon refers to the words and phrases used by politicians, lobbyists, the media,
and other people to talk about political issues quickly. Political jargon is the shared language of
catchphrases and political buzzwords spoken by those in the political sphere.
Examples:
• Left wing- political jargon for liberal, progressive viewpoint
• Right wing- a conservative view point
• Getting on a soapbox- making a speech in public
• POTUS- President of the United States
• SCOTUS- Supreme Court of the United States
• Military jargon - Among much of the common vocabulary in the military, there is
certainly no shortage of shorthand and military acronyms too.
Examples:

TD- Temporary duty

AWOL –Absent without leave
SQDN-A squadron
SAM- Surface- to- air missile
PCS- A Permanent change of station
• General Workplace Jargon -There is no shortage of jargon in the business world. No matter
what kind of business a company is in or how many employees or customers it has, jargon just
someone seems to find its way into the world of work.
Examples:
 land and expand - to sell a small solution to a client with the goal of later convincing the client
to expand their purchase
 end-user perspective - considering how a product would look, feel or work from the perspective
of those who will actually use it
 heavy lifting - handling the most difficult aspects of a project
 face time - spending time with a customer, vendor or team member in person as opposed to on
the phone or virtually
 hard copy - a physical printout of a document rather than an electronic version
 no-call, no-show - an employee, prospective customer or vendor who does not show up as
scheduled without calling in to let anyone know
• EDUCATIONAL JARGON

 Peer assessment - marking a classmate's work

 Point Evidence Explanation (or 'PEE') - a method for structuring essays effectively

 Coursework - work done throughout the year to be assessed, instead of exams

 Critical thinking - approaching a topic analytically and with logical reasoning

•Accounting jargon

 Reconciliation: the process of comparing transactions to supporting

documentation to check for and eliminate discrepancies.

 Depreciation: the process by which an asset loses value over a period of time.

 Capital allowances: any expenses that a company is able to claim back against
its taxable profit.

 Prepayment: the settlement of a debt or loan repayment prior to the official due
date.
•Difference Between Jargon and Slang
•Although they are sometimes used similarly, jargon
and slang are not the same. Often, they both
involve an informal use of a term to communicate an
idea, so there’s a bit of overlap between the two
words. However, slang is simply informal language,
whereas jargon is specific to a group of people.
•For example, most English speakers know that
“cool” is slang for something that’s good, but only a
plumber would know that “brass” is plumbing jargon
for a faucet or fixture.
• A Word of Caution About Jargon
• If you’re speaking informally to other people in the same field of
study, occupation, or group, you can use jargon and still be
understood. However, if you’re speaking to someone outside this
group or writing work for a larger audience, you should avoid the use
of jargon. The point to writing and speaking is communication, and
using words only a few people know can get in the way of getting your
point across. If you think about your audience first, you’ll always
choose the right words.
https://www.yourdictionary.com/articles/examples-jargon
https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/
 https://www.yourdictionary.com/articles/examples-jargon

INDIVIDUAL TASK: Discuss and present their answers to the class

1. How does jargon causes conflict in communication?

2. Does jargon affect the society? In what way?

3. Why is jargon important in English Language?