THE AFFIXOIDS IN THE GREEK GAY ARGOT KALIARDA Cover Image

THE AFFIXOIDS IN THE GREEK GAY ARGOT KALIARDA
THE AFFIXOIDS IN THE GREEK GAY ARGOT KALIARDA

Author(s): Boris Vounchev
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies, Gender Studies, Morphology, Philology
Published by: ЮГОЗАПАДЕН УНИВЕРСИТЕТ »НЕОФИТ РИЛСКИ«
Keywords: gay argot; Kaliarda; Standard Modern Greek; affixoids

Summary/Abstract: This paper examines the affixoids in the Greek gay argot Kaliarda. Firstly, I propose a short theoretical framework of the process of grammaticalization through which affixoids are extracted from existing words as bound bases. Further, I analyze the affixoids in Kaliarda in respect to their origin and use in the word-formation of Kaliarda. The affixoids are divided in two groups: borrowed from Standard Modern Greek and domestic ones, i.e., originating from Kaliarda. The basic conclusions are, first, that Kaliarda uses mainly domestic affixoids, which is explained by the fact that as an anti-language Kaliarda has the tendency to differ to the maximum its vocabulary from the vocabulary of Standard Modern Greek, and, second, that the desemanticization is the basic mechanism of grammaticalization of lexical bases in Kaliarda. The absence of the other mechanisms of grammaticalization (extension, decategorization and erosion) is explained by the lack of data concerning the diachronic development of this sociolect.

  • Issue Year: 17/2019
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 50-58
  • Page Count: 9
  • Language: English