「Collabing」跟「Collaborating」🎥

 

如你所知，我對語言學（即語言的科學）很有興趣。 語言（在英文版中我寫了「Language」——用大寫「L」，因為我指的是語言作為一個大概念）讓我著迷，其中一個原因是，它是透過母語人士的集體使用自然演變的東西。 語言是有系統的，因此即使語言變化往往是隨機因素引發或促成的，變化的過程本身依然總是有系統的。 其中一個最容易觀察到的語言變化領域（即使對非語言學家來說）就是新增用來表達新事物或既有事物的新字彙或俚語。 我想在這篇電子報裡舉「collab」這個俚語作例子。 「Collab」這個俚語現在在社交媒體上非常常見。它來自「collaborate」（動詞：合作）和「collaboration」（名詞：合作）這兩個字，可以是動詞或名詞，用來指社交媒體用戶（特別是網紅或名人）之間「合作」創作網路內容。 「Collab」作動詞的例句： He agreed to collab with them on the new video. 他同意跟他們合作拍攝這條新影片 另一個「collab」作名詞的例句： Their new collab is great. 他們的新合作作品很棒 我想指出的有趣之處是，雖然「collab」這個俚語看似只是「collaborate」和「collaboration」這兩個字的簡寫形式，但它其實通用語言變化已經有了專指「社交媒體上的內容合作，尤其是擁有大批粉絲或追隨者的用戶之間的合作」這個特定意思——換句話說，「collab」現在指的就是這類特定的「合作」。 這個俚語已經成為一個新的獨立字彙，有自己專門的含義，這使它在語言層面和它原本衍生自的那兩個字區分開來。 因此，當我們真的想表達「網路內容合作」時，其實用「collab」這個詞會比用「collaborate/collaboration」更貼切。 例如，如果我們把上面的例句改寫為「collaborate」和「collaboration」，語氣上就沒那麼自然、沒那麼貼切： He agreed to collaborate with them on the new video. 他同意跟他們合作拍攝這條新影片 Their new collaboration is great. 他們的新合作作品很棒 當然，用這些詞在這些句子裡依然是正確而且可以理解的，但至少以我自己的語感來說，「collab」這個詞在這個語境中更合適，因為我們特別是在談網路內容合作。 文法上，因為「collab」現在已經是一個獨立的動詞和名詞，它也必須像其他英文單字一樣，根據在句子裡扮演的角色加上正常的字尾變化。 例如： I love collabing with other creators! 我很喜歡跟其他創作者合作！ They did two collabs last year. 他們去年做了兩次合作 第一句裡，動詞「collab」需要變成動名詞（gerund）形式，所以要加上「-ing」變成「collabing」這字形。 第二句裡，名詞「collab」需要變成眾數字形，所以要加上「-s」變成「collabs」。 新俚語——以及語言變化本身——真的很有趣。 以「collab」這個俚語為例，雖然它一開始只是比較非正式的「collaborate/collaboration」說法，但它漸變成一個擁有專門意思的獨立字彙，與原本衍生自的那兩個字區隔開來。 所以，當你看到像「I love collabing with other creators」這樣的句子時，並不是說用「collab」是「錯的」或「沒文化」的。反而是因為這個新詞現在有了特定含義，在這個語境下它比「collaborate」更恰當。 你還知道其他英文新字或俚語嗎？我們下次可以再討論！

“Collabing” vs. “Collaborating”? 🎥 As you know, I am very interested in Linguistics (the science of language). One of the reasons that Language (yes, with a capital “L” -- as in, language on the whole or as a unified concept!) fascinates me is that it is something that evolves naturally on its own through the communal usage of native speakers. Language is systematic, and, so, even though language change is often sparked or caused by random factors, the process of the change itself is still always systematic. One of the most easily observable areas of language change (even to non-linguists) is the addition of new vocabulary or slang to refer to new or existing things and concepts. I want to give the example of the slang term “collab” in this newsletter. The slang term “collab” is very commonly used now on social media. It comes from the words “collaborate” (verb) and “collaboration” (noun) and can act as both a verb or noun to refer the way social media users -- especially influencers or celebrities -- “cooperate” to create content for the internet. An example sentence with “collab” as a verb: He agreed to collab with them on the new video.  他同意跟他們合作拍攝這條新影片 Another example sentence with “collab” as a noun: Their new collab is great. 他們的新合作作品很棒 The interesting thing I want to point out is that, although the slang term “collab” seems to be a mere short form of the words “collaborate” and “collaboration,” it has actually taken on the specific meaning of “content collaboration on social media, especially between users with big followings or fan bases” -- as in, “collab” now refers to this specific type of “collaboration.” This slang term has become a new word on its own that has a specific meaning, which sets it apart linguistically from the words it was coined from originally.  As such, when we do want to refer to “content cooperation on the internet,” it is actually more apt and suitable to use the term “collab” rather than “collaborate/collaboration.”  For example, it would be less natural and less suitable if we were to rewrite the above examples with the words “collaborate” and “collaboration” instead:  He agreed to collaborate with them on the new video.  他同意跟他們合作拍攝這條新影片 Their new collaboration is great. 他們的新合作作品很棒 Of course, it is still correct and understandable to use these words in these sentences, but, to my own sensitivities at least, the word “collab” is much more fitting in this context because we are specifically talking about internet content collaboration. Grammatically, because “collab” has now become a verb and noun in its own right, it must also take on the normal word endings that verbs and nouns take on in English sentences when they play different roles. For example: I love collabing with other creators!  我很喜歡跟其他創作者合作！ They did two collabs last year. 他們去年做了兩次合作 In the first sentence, the verb “collab” needs to be in a gerund noun form, so it takes on the “-ing” ending to become “collabing.” In the second sentence, the noun “collab” needs to be in plural form, so it takes on the “-s” ending to become “collabs.” New slang -- and language change in general -- is fascinating. In the case of the slang term “collab,” although it started off being a more informal way of saying “collaborate/collaboration,” it is increasingly becoming its own word with a specific meaning that sets it apart from the words it was first coined from. So, when you see a sentence like “I love collabing with other creators,” it is not that using “collab” is “wrong” or “uneducated.” Rather, the new word “collab” is more appropriate for this context than “collaborate” because of its specific meaning now. Do you know any other examples of new words or slang terms in English? We can discuss them next time.