The Place of Slang in Folklore and Traces of Culture in the Numbers Used in Slang

Abstract

Although slang is occasionally criticized for ethical violations in terms of the values it means to individuals and societies, it possesses a cultural aspect that fosters both individual and social relations. Slang, leveraging the opportunities presented by folk culture, constitutes an arena of cultural production that injects vitality into linguistic expression. Numbers, as a means of making sense of existence, have acquired religious, mystical, and folkloric significance across various cultures, giving rise to diverse connotations. Consequently, these numbers, imbued with the imprints of folk culture through a sort of encryption function, facilitate the fulfillment of slang's social function by attributing figurative, symbolic, and metaphorical meanings. This article delves into the examination of numbers (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 20, 30, 31, 35, 36, 40, 45, 50, 52, 58, 66, 69, 70, 75, 90, 99, 100, 180, 333, 400, 1500, 1715) within expressions identified by scanning the Tan & imath;klar & imath;yla B & uuml;y & uuml;k Argo S & ouml;zl & uuml;& gbreve;& uuml; (The Large Slang Dictionary with Its Witnesses), T & uuml;rk Argo S & ouml;zl & uuml;& gbreve;& uuml; (Turkish Slang Dictionary) and Kad & imath;n Argosu S & ouml;zl & uuml;& gbreve;& uuml; (Women's Slang Dictionary). Through their metaphoric, metonymic, ironic, symbolic, and connotative meanings, these numbers overtly or covertly mediate the expression of feelings and thoughts that cannot be publicly articulated in society, often being considered taboo and shameful. Furthermore, by carrying cultural codes, these numbers in slang provide a means for thoughts, feelings, and attitudes about death, sexuality, and gambling games to be transformed directly or indirectly into words and behavior in a discursive or artistic manner.