One thing I’ve learned in highschool, is that everyone speaks differently. Some kids talk in all slang, and some sound so formal you’d think they were talking to the president.
There is one form of language used by a select group of students at Leesville that is causing confusion everywhere. Abbreviations.
It sounds simple, but its more than just taking the end off of the word. There’s complicated rules that most non-abbreviators could never understand.
In order to clarify some of the abbreviation confusion, I decided to investigate this odd form of language. I started by paying a visit to my friend Nicole Neidrick, a sophomore, who said “ Me and my family abbreviate all the time, its just what’s in these days.” When asked how she started with this language, she said “I abbreviate because me and my sister wanted to develop a language to communicate and have fun.”
When asked about the rules of abbreviations, Neidrick was quick to respond with “You cannot abbreviate one syllable words. It just doesn’t happen.” This is a very true statement, since abbreviations usually consist of taking the last syllable or two off the end of a word.
Another important rule has to do with the abbreviation of compound words. It simply cannot be done, unless you can abbreviate the two words separately. . For example, the compound word “Butter Fly” cannot be abbreviated as “Butter,” it must be abbreviated as “But Fly”
Although abbreviating is just a fun way to communicate with friends, not everyone is okay with this form of language. In particular: parents. “Abbreviating is not allowed in my house,” said Laurie Hilyer, mother of a Leesville sophomore, Noel Hilyer. “It’s just too hard to understand.”
In the end, opinions on abbreviations tend to fall half and half. Half are pro-abbreviation, thinking that abbreviations are “Hular” while the other half thinks they are either too confusing, or just plain annoying.
Overall, as long as you follow the rules, and make sure not to abbreviate in more serious situations, abbreviating is the perfect way to spice up any conversation.
Katy has been on staff since her sophomore year, starting as a staff writer. With hard work and diligence, she earned a junior editor position and ultimately became Editor-in-Chief her senior year. She will pursue a degree in journalism in college.
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