Linguistic regularities of LOLspeak

Abstract

The influence of the Internet on language is an unprecedented phenomenon. Maybe only the emergence of the systems of writing and the invention of printing can be claimed to have contributed more to the way language is used and perceived. Numerous publications have been devoted to the new forms of language thriving in the cyberspace. The present study focuses on one of the countless micro-genres which we may encounter while surfing the web: the LOLspeak. Its major peculiarity lies in the deliberate departure from the standard conventions related to grammar and orthography. At first sight, this new code of communication could puzzle and put off an average user, but upon closer inspection it turns out that there is some order in this apparent chaos and that there are certain limits to the deviations applied by ardent followers of LOLspeak. Our major aim was to propose a preliminary list of certain regularities characterizing this new form of linguistic creativity. It is by no means exhaustive, as the investigation is based on a relatively small corpus, but it suggests a certain direction for the future investigation of this very interesting phenomenon.