Coined words and expressions in informal oral communication

The main purpose of this study was to gather and classify some coined words and expressions in informal oral communication. The study was basically oral since the study was limited only to uttered rather than written expressions. Uttered coined words and expressions become different when written. It is in oral communication where one can emphasize pitch, stress, and juncture. Aside from the context, the meanings attached to these words depend a lot on these supra-segmental phonemes. The research was conducted among 100 college and high school students selected at random. All of these Cebuano-speaking respondents also used and understood Tagalog or Filipino words. Moreover, English words have become part of their language repertoire because they also practice code switching. The study employed a descriptive method in the interpretation of data based on the questionnaires, interviews, and researcher’s observations. Results showed that coined words and expressions have distinct characteristics and can be classified according to form, meaning, and expression. Furthermore, their effectiveness depends on many factors. Their meaning and correctness are under some circumstances and nature of the speakers in a given context. However, the active usage of these coined words and expressions in oral communication rests on the persons who have been fond of using them. The study recommends that it is of outmost importance to conduct a similar study based on the currency of coined words and expressions since language is considered dynamic, and that it changes through time and culture.