American military slang: the influence of the gulf war

The article considers the development of American military slang in the course of the Gulf War, being a large armed conflict involving approximately 1.5 million military personnel from 15 countries. Lexical units of American military slang of the time are examined and analyzed. The authors classify them thematically. Explanations of the means of their formation are given after each unit. It was shown that they encompass the entire range of means of formation. Loanwords are an important component of any language and, indeed, the vast majority of languages are heavily influenced by loanwords. In the context of the Gulf War it was shown that loanwords denoting new military technology had a significant impact on the development of American military slang during this period. Also, the personification of the enemy as Saddam Hussein led to the creation of many new slang terms. Finally, the location of the Gulf War (the desert) gave rise to many slang terms. A conclusion is made on the significant influence of the Gulf War on the development of American military slang. It thus follows that linguists working in the sphere of military translation today ought to pay greater attention to the changes in English military vocabulary which took place during the Gulf War.

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