Editing Internet slang (section)

==Around the world==
[[File:Grass Mud Horse Seal.svg|thumb|Chinese seal carving work. The character is a combination of three characters, which is done by Chinese [[netizen]]. This is a satire of [[Chinese Internet censorship]]. See [[Grass Mud Horse]].]]

In Japanese, the term [[moe (slang)|moe]] has come into common use among slang users to mean something "preciously cute" and appealing.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Moe - Anime News Network|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/lexicon.php?id=77|access-date=1 May 2020|website=www.animenewsnetwork.com}}</ref>

Aside from the more frequent abbreviations, acronyms, and [[emoticon]]s, Internet slang also uses archaic words or the lesser-known meanings of mainstream terms.<ref name="Yin" /> Regular words can also be altered into something with a similar pronunciation but altogether different meaning, or attributed new meanings altogether.<ref name="Yin" /> Phonetic transcriptions are the transformation of words to how it sounds in a certain language, and are used as internet slang.<ref>{{Cite CiteSeerX |last=Wells|first=J.C.|title=Phonetic transcriptions and analysis|citeseerx=10.1.1.693.115}}</ref> In places where [[logograph]]ic languages are used, such as China, a visual Internet slang exists, giving characters dual meanings, one direct and one implied.<ref name="Yin" />

The Internet has helped people from all over the world to become connected to one another, enabling "global" relationships to be formed.<ref>Barry Wellman (2004). "The Glocal Village: Internet and Community." ''Ideas&s'' Vol 1:1</ref> As such, it is important for the various types of slang used online to be recognizable for everyone. It is also important to do so because of how other languages are quickly catching up with English on the Internet, following the increase in Internet usage in predominantly non-English speaking countries. In fact, as of January 2020, only approximately 25.9% of the online population is made up of English speakers.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Johnson|first=Joseph|date=27 January 2021|title=Most common languages used on the internet as of January 2020, by share of internet users|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/262946/share-of-the-most-common-languages-on-the-internet/#:~:text=Most%20common%20languages%20used%20on%20the%20internet%202020&text=As%20of%20January%202020%2C%20English,percent%20of%20global%20internet%20users.|website=Statista}}</ref>

Different cultures tend to have different motivations behind their choice of slang, on top of the difference in language used. For example, in [[Chinese Internet slang|China]], because of the tough Internet regulations imposed, users tend to use certain slang to talk about issues deemed as sensitive to the government. These include using symbols to separate the characters of a word to avoid detection from manual or automated text pattern scanning and consequential [[censorship]].<ref>Zhou Shuguang (2008). "Notes On The Net." ''Index on Censorship'' Vol 37:2</ref> An outstanding example is the use of the term [[river crab (Internet slang)|river crab]] to denote censorship. River crab (hexie) is pronounced the same as "harmony"—the official term used to justify political discipline and censorship. As such Chinese netizens reappropriate the official terms in a sarcastic way.<ref>Nordin, Astrid and Richaud, Lisa (2014), "Subverting official language and discourse in China? Type river rrab for harmony," ''China Information'' 28, 1 (March): 47–67.</ref>

[[Abbreviations]] are popular across different cultures, including countries like [[Japan]], [[China]], [[France]], [[Portugal]], etc., and are used according to the particular language the Internet users speak. Significantly, this same style of slang creation is also found in non-alphabetical languages<ref name=Yin /> as, for example, a form of "[[Kuso#Compared to e'gao|e gao]]" or alternative political discourse.<ref name=mud>Meng Bingchun (2011) "From Steamed Bun to Grass Mud Horse: E Gao as alternative political discourse on the Chinese Internet." ''Global Media and Communication'' April 2011 vol. 7 no. 1 33–51</ref>

The difference in language often results in miscommunication, as seen in an [[Onomatopoeia|onomatopoeic]] example, "555", which sounds like "crying" in Chinese, and "laughing" in Thai.<ref name=lovelovechina.com>{{cite web |author=Crystal Tao |date=6 May 2010 |url=http://www.lovelovechina.com/entertainment/why-thai-laugh-when-chinese-cry/ |title=Why Thai Laugh When Chinese Cry? |publisher=Lovelovechina.com |access-date=25 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120420091421/http://www.lovelovechina.com/entertainment/why-thai-laugh-when-chinese-cry/ |archive-date=20 April 2012 }}</ref> A similar example is between the English "haha" and the Spanish "jaja", where both are onomatopoeic expressions of laughter, but the difference in language also meant a different consonant for the same sound to be produced. For more examples of how other languages express "laughing out loud", see also: [[LOL]]

In terms of culture, in Chinese, the numerically based onomatopoeia "770880" ({{Zh|c = |s = 亲亲你抱抱你|t = 親親你抱抱你|p = qīn qīn nǐ bào bào nǐ}}), which means to 'kiss and hug you', is used.<ref name=lovelovechina.com /> This is comparable to "XOXO", which many Internet users use. In French, "pk" or "pq" is used in the place of pourquoi, which means 'why'. This is an example of a combination of onomatopoeia and shortening of the original word for convenience when writing online.

In conclusion, every different country has their own language background and cultural differences and hence, they tend to have their own rules and motivations for their own Internet slang. However, at present, there is still a lack of studies done by researchers on some differences between the countries.

On the whole, the popular use of Internet slang has resulted in a unique online and offline community as well as a couple sub-categories of "special internet slang which is different from other slang spread on the whole internet... similar to jargon... usually decided by the sharing community".<ref name=miao>Wei Miao Miao (2010) "Internet slang used by online Japanese anime fans." ''3PM Journal of Digital Researching and Publishing''. Session 2 2010 pp 91–98</ref> It has also led to virtual communities marked by the specific slang they use<ref name=miao /> and led to a more homogenized yet diverse online culture.<ref name=Yin /><ref name=miao />