The criminal jargon. The cases of using zoonim lexical
substandard units
Metelskaya E.V.
Astrakhan State University
The phenomenon that reflects the characteristics and
specificity of the criminal subculture, its degree of organization, hierarchy,
its professionalism, is without any doubt, a language which, among the other
definitions, is called “criminal jargon”.
Criminal jargon – is not only Russian phenomenon, and
it is not only a phenomenon of the modern era. You can meet this language
almost in any lingvoculture, in any society where there is the criminal strata
and the criminal community.
The language of the criminal representatives is
inexpressive, illogical and inconsistent. It has also a great emotional
intensity and expressiveness.
The language of the antisocial groups has mixed
lexics, which is used both in criminal and common vocabulary, and it is very
easy to pass from one to another – it depends on the situation.
Zoonim lexical substandard units are the components of
substandard world where the man is the object of the evaluation expression. At
the present stage the research of the new scientific anthropocentric paradigm
development of substandard lexics gets the basic value. The Lexical Substandard
Units analysis and their representation in languagesystem is one of the actual
directions in modern linguistics.
The structure of criminal jargon includes a large number
of zoonim lexical substandard units. The names of the animals are very colorful
and they serve in order to define the criminal specialties and hierarchy among
the prisoners, to denote the workers of the law enforcement agencies and for
the person’s description.
The lexical structure of criminal jargon due to zoonim
substandard units can be divided into several thematic groups.
The thematic group “The
moral qualities” is the most numerous. The prisoner who steals the food or
things from his co-prisoners gets the name “rat”
(êðûñà). "Rats
- the lowest class in the criminal hierarchy”. The zoonim lexical substandard units “hen” (êóðèöà) and “bitch” (ñóêà) also mean – traitor, informer.
The word “reptilian”
(ãàä) describes the man who
argues against the moral principles. The criminal jargon has the set expression
“to ask as from the reptilian” – “It is very serious expression. You can
hear it only if the prisoner steals something from his co-prisoners”.
In criminal jargon we also can define the thematic group
“Criminal crafts”. It is also rather
numerous. So, the criminal who makes pickpocketing gets the name “babochnik” (áàáî÷êà – butterfly).
“Capercaillie” (ãëóõàðü) – is a drunken robber. “Horse”
(êîí¸ê) – the fraudster. The inexperienced thief, the small speculator the
prisoners call “cormorant” (áàêëàí).
One more thematic group – “Criminal castes.
Hierarchy”. “Boar” (êàáàí) – the leader of the criminal
group. “- Boar called yesterday. He
wanted to talk with us”.
The thematic group – “Criminal castes. Sex”. “Goat” (êîç¸ë), “cock” (ïåòóõ) – are the names of
the punks from the social prison caste. “Zhuchka” (æó÷êà – êëè÷êà
ñîáàêè) – the lesbian.
The thematic group “Criminal
colours”. Shushara (êëè÷êà êðûñû) – the prisoner, who very passively and cautiously looks to alien criminal
world. “Bitch” – the prisoner, who voluntarily cooperates with the
administration of a prison. It was a period when there were the old classical
thieves’ laws on the territory of the prisons.
The thematic group “Police”.
“Goat” – the highly respected police officer. “Legavyj” (ïîðîäà
ñîáàê) – the police officer. “Spider” (ïàóê) – the prison warden.
Thematic group “Habits. Alcohol”. “Bream” (ëåù) – the screwed up person.
Thematic group “Gender
identity”. “Heifer” (ò¸ëêà) in criminal language
– a depraved woman. “Bitch” –
the prostitute.
Zoonim lexical substandard units are the carriers of
the culturally relevant information of the objective reality reflected in the
language.
Bibliography
1. Aleksandrov K.Ju.,
Tjuremnyj zakon. Izd.: Pravovoe prosveshhenie, 1999 g.
2. Baldaev D.S., Slovar'
blatnogo vorovskogo zhargona. Izd.: Kampana, 1997 g.
3. Elistratov V. S. Slovar'
russkogo argo: Materialy 1980-1990 gg.: Ok. 9000 slov, 3000 idiomat. vyrazh.
M., 2000.
4. Lozovskij V., Vsjo o zhizni
v tjur'me. http://www.tyurem.net
5. Mil'janenkov L. A., Po tu
storonu zakona: jenciklopedija prestupnogo
mira, SPb. 1992 g.
6. Dlja podgotovki dannoj
raboty byli ispol'zovany materialy sajtov: