AN ANALYSIS OF SLANG WORD FORMATION USED ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS AMONG PAKISTANI NETIZENS

The present study investigates Pakistani social media users' slang during cyberspace interactions. The study finds out the types of word formation of slang that Pakistani Netizens use. Moreover, the current research has followed the word formation process listed by Mattiello (2008). A total of 168 texts of tweets, posts, comments, and captions have been selected for data analysis out of 300 assembled text data from Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Data was collected through a purposive sampling technique and meticulous observation. Furthermore, the data have been analyzed using the qualitative research method and are displayed in the narration and tabular form. Urdu sentences and slang words have been translated using online dictionaries, Google Translate, and artificial intelligence (AI). Additionally, the present research findings show that slang follows all the formation processes of words given by Mattiello (2008) except elliptic rhyming slang, which is also created through other methods. This study will contribute to the existing body of knowledge in the world of slang and will provide insights for further exploration and research.