Juxtaposing Contemporary Gen Z Slang with Prospero Covar’s Body-And-Pot Metaphor
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.57106/scientia.v15i2.224Keywords:
Filipinolohiya, Gen Z, Slang Language, Body-Pot Metaphor, Prospero CovarAbstract
Language evolves, and language moves across generations. Though time may change, language will remain dynamic. The wording may change, but the significance and meaning remain constant. The current trend of Generation Z, or Gen Z, words may be considered the most used expressions coined in daily conversations and communications, not only on social media but also in daily conversations. Thus, Gen Z language has become part of formal and informal discourses. Interestingly, Gen Z language can be reflected in the conceptualization of Filipino identity and psyche based on the Body-Pot metaphor of Prospero Covar, a notable Filipino anthropologist and scholar. This study will examine the common ground between Gen Z language use and Prospero Covar's philosophy and how this becomes culturally, sociologically, and linguistically interesting and significant. The interconnections or juxtapositions of word usage may be considered a contributing aspect in establishing the philosophy of Covar’s work as still relevant today.
Downloads
References
Abidin, C. (2021). Mapping Internet celebrity on Tiktok: exploring attention economies and
visibility labours. Cultural Science Journal, 12(1), 77-103. https://dou.org/10.5334/csci.140.
Androoutsopoulos, J. (2014). Computer-mediated communication and linguistic landscapes.
Language & Communication, 40, 1-5. httpS://doi.org/10.1016/j.langcom.2014.02.002.
Boyd, d. (2014). It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens. Yale University Press.
Buchooltz, M. (2011). White Kids: Langauge, race and Styles of Youth Identity: Cambridge
University Press.
Bulloch, H. (2023). Magic, luck and permeable personhood in the Philippines. Journal of
Southeast Asian Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/1683478X.2023.2221147.
Clacio, A.C. & Estabaya, M.T. (2024). Pananalig sa Papel ng Suwerte at Malas: Ang Ligaya ng
Lotto sa Pag-asa ng mga Pilipino. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Educational Research and Innovation, 2(1), 44-62. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8325388.
Covar, P.R. (1973). Vol. 21, No. 3/4, NATIONAL CONVENTION '73: Papers from the
Philippine Sociological Society's National Convention 1973 (July–October 1973), pp. 283-287.
Covar, P.R. (1998). The Filipino as a Global Village. University of the Philippines Press.
Covar, P.R. (1998). "Kaalamang Bayang Dalumat ng Pagkataong Pilipino." Sa kanyang
Larangan: Seminal Essays on Philippine Culture. Maynila: NCCA. mp. 9-
19.
Eckert, P. (2000). Linguistic Variation as Social Practice. Blackwell.
Eckert, P. (2012). Three Waves of Variation Study. The Emergence of Meaning in the Study of
Sociolinguistic Variation. Annual Review of Anthropology, 41, 87-100. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-anthro-092611-145828.
Hall, S. & Jefferson, T. (1976). Resistance Through Rituals. Hutchinson.
Herring, S.C. (2013). Discourse in Web 2.0: Familiar, Reconfigured and Emergent in D. Tannen
& A.M. Trester (eds.), Discourse 2.0 (pp1-25). Georgetown University Press.
Jenkins, H., Ito, M., & Boyd, D. (2016). Participatory Culture in a Networked Era. Polity Press.
Kaye, D.B. V., Chen, X, & Zeng, J. (2021). The Co-Evolution of Two Chinese mobile Short
Video apps: Parallel platformization of Douyin and Tiktok. Mobile Media & Communication, 9(2), 229-253. https://doi.org/10.1177/2050157920952120.
Krumov, K & Larsen, K. (2013). "The Evolution of Language and Socio-Culture",
Cross-Cultural Psychology: Why Culture Matters, https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-62396-318-720251006.
Lakoff, G. & Johnson, M. (1980). Metaphors We Live By. University of Chicago Press.
Marzona, Y. Language Change in the Communication of Generation Z. (2025). Jurnal Ilmiah
Langue and Parole, 8(2), 153-161. https://doi.org/10.36057/jilp.v8i2.734
Matta, D. (Daoud) . (2026). Juxtaposition as a Deliberate Cognitive Method: The Value of
Putting Things Together. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21977249.
Pernnycook, A. (2017). The Cultural Politics of English as an International Langauge:
Routledge.
Republic Asia Media (2023). New Filipino and the Gen Z Slangs. Republic Asia Media.
https://republicasiamedia.com/generation/new-filipino-and-the-gen-z-slangs/.
Salazar, Z.A. (1991). Ang pantayong pananaw Bilang Diskursong Pangkabihasnan. Palimbagan
ng Lahi.
Salazar, Z.A. (1998). “Philippine Studies” and “Pilipinolohiya” Past, Present and Future of Two
Heuristic Views in the Studey of the Philippines. In Malayan Connection; Ang Pilipinas sa Diwang Malayo. Quezon City: Palimbagan ng Lahi.
Sawe, M. (2025). Digital Identity and Linguistic Play: A Study of Filipino Tiktok Slang among
Generation Z. in NTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS) ISSN No. 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS | Volume IX Issue II February 2025
Smart Parenting Philippines. (2025 January 17). Gen Z, Gen Alpha Slang Words: A Parent’s
Ultimate Guide. https://www.smartparenting.com.ph/parenting/big-kids/gen-z-gen-alpha-slang-words-guide-a5076-20250117-lfrm
Tagliamonte, S. (2016). Tenn Talk: The Langauge of Adolescents. Cambridge University Press.
Tagalog Dictionary. (n.d). Kaututang-Dila
https://tagalog.pinoydictionary.com/word/kaututang-dila
Tayag, N. (2023). In. The Palm of Our Hand. In Dateline Ibalon,
https://dateline-ibalon.com/2023/05/in-the-palm-of-our-hand-nick-tayag/
Zulli, D. & Zulli, D. J. (2022). Extending the Internet Meme: Conceptualizing Technological
Mimesis and Imitation Publics on Tiktok. New Media & society, 24(8), 1872-1892. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444820983603
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Marvin Reyes

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.




