About American Slang

American slang is different from British slang because of the evolution of American English ...

History of American Slang Words

Language constantly evolves and the meanings of words in it change. Slang refers to words or phrases that begin to be used in a widespread way. This way, our language renews itself and changes with the times. Slang words show the attitudes of the group or sub-culture that uses them. Slang can appear as a brand new word, a new meaning for an existing word, an abbreviation for a word, or a word that becomes more generalized than its former, narrow meaning.

The history of American slang words starts around the 17th century. By the 18th century, the differences between America and other English speaking countries prompted the evolution of slang. For a time, any words not used in Britain were considered slang. Originally considered to be the language of foreigners and criminals, slang began to be used by writers in the 1900s. So the history of American slang words started as America started and continues today.