Editing Slang (section)

=== Debates about slang ===

Some critics believe that when slang becomes more commonplace it effectively eradicates the "proper" use of a certain language. However, academic (descriptive) linguists believe that language is not static but ever-changing and that slang terms are valid words within a language's lexicon. While [[Linguistic prescription|prescriptivists]] study and promote the socially preferable or "correct" ways to speak, according to a language's normative grammar and syntactical words, [[Linguistic description|descriptivists]] focus on studying language to further understand the subconscious rules of how individuals speak, which makes slang important in understanding such rules. [[Noam Chomsky]], a founder of anthropological linguistic thought, challenged structural and prescriptive grammar and began to study sounds and [[morpheme]]s functionally, as well as their [[language change|changes]] within a language over time.<ref>Rowe, Bruce M., and Diane P. Levine. 2012. ''A Concise Introduction to Linguistics'' 3rd edition. Boston: Prentice Hall. {{ISBN|978-0205051816}}</ref>