Characteristics of Slang Terms in Online Discussion among Thai Stock Investors

Abstract

Slang is actively used in society as a whole and it is more commonly used in spoken language. This study examines a context for such commonality by investigating the characteristics of slang terms used by Thai stock investors when they are communicating via social networking media: pantip.com (Sindhorn café) and facebook.com (closed group: เล่นหุ้นเก็งกำไรแบบรายวัน) during the timescale of August to

October 2015. This study employed a mixed-methods methodology by using a quantitative approach methodology by counting the frequency of slang terms and a qualitative approach by analyzing metaphorical expressions, nativization and the categorizations of puns. The collected words were transcribed phonetically, using International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). The findings highlight 55 slang words used in online discussion forums among Thai stock investors. The most noticeable features of slang words used by Thai stock investors in online stock discussions were the use of metaphorical expressions as they form the largest group with 31 words. The findings also highlight 15 slang words which undergo a nativatization process. In addition, there were nine paronymic puns that emerged from the data. Most of the slang terms used by Thai stock investors when discussing stocks have a humorous and sarcastic tone.