Abstract
This study examines the morphological features in Netspeak across three major social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Data are sixty (60) randomly selected comments at twenty (20) from each platform. The study employs a mixed-theoretical approach, grounded in the following theoretical frameworks: Sociolinguistic Theory, Language Contact Theory, Morphological Theory and Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) Theory. The study employs mixed methods of quantitative and qualitative descriptive methods for data analysis and discussion of findings. The findings reveal the recurrent use of clipping, such as “congrats” and “abeg”; blending, as in “womb opener”; and “PTSD”; and acronyms/initialisms, including “BBN” and “BVN”. It is also observed that Netspeak is not random or chaotic but follows discernible linguistic patterns. The study demonstrates that the dominance of clipping, blending, acronyms, and neologisms reveals a strong tendency toward linguistic compression and personalization. The study concludes that Netspeak is a mirror of modern communication, flexible, innovative, and deeply rooted in user experience.
Keywords: Netspeak, morphological features, online communication, morphological creativity, modern communication
DOI: www.doi.org/10.36349/sojolics.2025.v01i01.025
author/Eunice Omolara OLAREWAJU, PhD
journal/Sokoto JOLICS 1(1) | June 2025 |
