Sociolinguistics

4. Units that appeared and are used exceptionally in Canada.

The common Canadian slang can be subdivided into two groups: the common slang that is described in the previous points and the professional slang of the following professions:

— railway men’s slang: pig (locomotive), plug (a small train);

— musicians' slang: canary (a female singer), to blow (to play);

— military slang: Joe boy (a recruit), moldy (torpedo);

— sport slang: rink-rat (a boy, cleaning the rink), arena rat (fan, supporter);

— criminal argot: pod (cigarette with narcotic), skokum house (prison).

So, we can say that Canadian slang is a very complicated system that unites chronologically different layers of the American and Canadian slang. And in the whole it is a new and quite original system that doesn’t copy either American or British system. This system appeared due to the co-operation of all these systems and the national tendencies.

In conclusion we could mention with the statement of Walter Avis who wrote in his essay «Canadian English» which introduces the Gage dictionaries, that «unfortunately, a great deal of nonsense is taken for granted by many Canadians» when it comes to language issues. And into that category of nonsense we may add a notion that there is such a thing as «Canadian English», and that this fiction has any value linguistically, pragmatically, socially, or politically.

  1. Putiatina E, Bystrova P. English on Linguistics and crosscultural communication. Surgut, 2001, 334pp.
  2. John Agleo. The myth of Canadian English. English Today 62, Volume 16, Number 2, April 2000, pp.3−9.
  3. М.В. Бондаренко. Системные характеристики вокабуляра англоканадского сленга (на материале имен существительных).