A LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF LEXICAL CLIPPING ON SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT
Keywords:
Lexical clipping, Computer-Meditated Communication (CMC), Linguistic Economy, Social Interaction.Abstract
This study examines word shortening, or lexical clipping, in social media communication. The study classifies how these reduced forms are created and why they are used using data from TikTok and Instagram. The results show that clipping accomplishes three main goals: it improves communication effectiveness (linguistic economy), strengthens a sense of community (in-group identity), and fosters a sense of closeness between authors and followers (para-social authenticity). The study comes to the conclusion that, rather from being a straightforward reaction to character restrictions, word shortening is a purposeful language technique employed to navigate digital settings.
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