Sociolinguistic aspects of popular abbreviations in Hong Kong Cantonese

Abstract

This paper aims to study certain popular abbreviations in Hong Kong Cantonese in recent years from a sociolinguistic perspective so as to understand their characteristics and uniqueness. It was found that these abbreviations come from different languages and regions, and different strategies such as Cantonese romanization acronym and translation of foreign languages into Chinese characters were used in the process of abbreviation. In terms of grammar, they are mainly composed of adverb-verb and verb-object structures, and the part of speech may change in some cases. Some abbreviations also have rhetorical effects related to homonyms or taboos. These abbreviations are mastered by younger generations and are mostly used in informal domains. The main consideration for adopting abbreviations is of practical concern as well as their function of “insider communication”. Respondents rated Cantonese abbreviations as overall positive.