TOPICAL MODELING OF THE GERMAN YOUNG PEOPLE LEXICON (DIACHRONIC ANALYSIS)

Abstract

In German studies, the lexicon, phonetic and grammatical specifics of the German slang of youth are studied and described in detail. However, there are some aspects that require clarification and more detailed analysis in order to form a holistic understanding of this linguistic phenomenon. The article is devoted to the study of thematic groups and distribution of the vocabulary of the German slang of youth by the largest groups in terms of the most active interest of the speakers in the diachronic aspect in order to find out the tendencies of the development and functioning of slang words. The study of the lexicon of slang confirms the relevance of the selected major thematic groups of slang vocabulary, which are characteristic not only for the current development of the German slang of youth, but also were characteristic for young people of the last century. It can be argued that the thematic distribution of slang vocabulary from the 50’s to 80’s correlates with the thematic stratification of slangisms of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, with the exception of those words that have lost their relevance and significance for the present stage of development. A characteristic feature of slang vocabulary can be considered not only its short-term functioning in German slang of youth, but also the using of some lexical units over a fairly significant period.