INITIALISMS IN GEN Z TWITTER (X): A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF MORPHOLOGICAL PATTERNS AND COMMUNICATIVE FUNCTIONS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70210/amrj.v3i4.189Keywords:
Initialisms, Gen Z, Twitter (x), Morphology, Digital CommunicationAbstract
This study investigates how Generation Z constructs and uses initialisms in Twitter (X), focusing on their morphological patterns and communicative functions. While previous studies have highlighted the social meanings of abbreviations in digital discourse, limited attention has been given to the systematic morphological structures underlying initialism formation and their functional roles within a single platform-specific context. Using a qualitative descriptive design, the data were collected through purposive sampling of publicly accessible Gen Z tweets posted between October and December 2025. Screenshots of posts containing initialisms were documented and analyzed using content analysis. The findings reveal 85 distinct initialisms, classified into Non-Elliptical (68 forms), Elliptical (12 forms), and Non-Alphabetic (6 forms). Non-elliptical forms dominate, reflecting Gen Z’s reliance on fully abbreviated, letter-by-letter constructions that support rapid processing and platform efficiency. Across all categories, initialisms serve key communicative functions, operating as pragmatic tools for stance-taking, emotional signaling, identity construction, boundary marking, and interaction management that strengthen in-group belonging and facilitate high-speed digital interaction. This study contributes to contemporary discussions on digital morphology and Gen Z sociolinguistics by showing how compressed linguistic forms evolve in response to platform constraints and social dynamics. The implications highlight the need to recognize initialisms as a central component of emerging internet-mediated language change.
Downloads
References
Alshaboul, Nashat. 2025. “Role of Social Media in Shaping Contemporary Language Trends: A Comparative Analysis with Western Slang Trend among Jordanian University Students.” Forum for Linguistic Studies 7(4):502–10. doi: 10.30564/fls.v7i4.9062.
Anil, Malavika Anakkathil, and Jayashree S. Bhat. 2020. “Transitional Changes in Cognitive‑Communicative Abilities in Adolescents: A Literature Review Malavika.” Journal of Natural Science, Biology and Medicine 11(2):85–92. doi: 10.4103/jnsbm.JNSBM.
Creswell, J. W., and J. David Creswell. 2023. Research Design, Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches. 6th ed. Los Angeles: Sage Publication, Inc.
Crystal, David. 2011. Internet Linguistics: A Student Guide. 1st Editio. London: Routledge.
Jabeen, Saiyida Shahbano, and Hafiz Imran Nawaz. 2025. “Morphological Innovations in Gen Z Language and Their Impact on English Language Usage.” Journal of Applied Linguistics and TESOL (JALT) 8(1):86–107.
Krippendor, Klaus. 2013. Content Analysis: An Introduction to Its Methodology. 3rd Editio. California, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Mattiello, Elisa. 2013. Extra-Grammatical Morphology in English : Abbreviations, Blends, Reduplicatives, and Related Phenomena. Boston: Walter de Gruyter.
McCulloch, Gretchen. 2019. Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language. New York: Riverhead Book.
Menzel, Katrin. 2024. “Exploring Word Formation Trends in Written, Spoken, Translated and Interpreted European Parliament Data – A Case Study on Initialisms in English and German.” Pp. 57–65 in In Proceedings of the IV Workshop on Creating, Analysing, and Increasing Accessibility of Parliamentary Corpora (ParlaCLARIN) @ LREC-COLING 2024. Torino: ELRA and ICCL.
Obwang’i, Rebin Buyaki, David Barasa, and Robinson Oduma. 2025. “A Morphological Analysis of Abbreviated Neologisms of Social Media Discourses: A Case of Kenyans on X.” Journal of Research and Academic Writing 2(1):12–23. doi: 10.58721/JRAW.V2I1.1031.
Putri, Anita Febiana, Bunga Malika Putri, Erningsih Putri Suparman, Wulan Astriani, and Nargis Nargis. 2025. “The Influence of Social Media Language on Generation Z Identity in Indonesia.” JURNAL MULTIDISIPLIN ILMU AKADEMIK 2(1):608–13. doi: 10.61722/JMIA.V2I1.3740.
Rahmawati, Rahmawati, Abeliya Rahayu, Feby Amanda Budiyawati, Afila Hilda, and Ulfah Julianti. 2025. “The Phenomenon of Slang Language Usage Among Gen Z on the X (Twitter) Platform.” Jurnal Multidisiplin Sahombu 5(4):974–79.
Razak, Nurmaisarah Abdul, Nor Ashikin Ab Manan, Noraziah Azizan, and Johana Yusof. 2025. “The Use of Slang by Gen Z Female Influencers on Instagram and Twitter (X).” International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science IX(I):2847–62. doi: 10.47772/IJRISS.2025.9010232.
Sitohang, Devita Pingkan, Bernieke Anggita, and Ristia Damanik. 2025. “A Semantic Analysis of Slang Words Used by Gen Z on Social Media.” Young Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities 1(2):141–50.
Tagg, Caroline. 2015. Exploring Digital Communication: Language in Action. New York: Routledge.
Tajik, Omid, Jawad Golzar, and Shagofah Noor. 2024. “Purposive Sampling.” International Journal of Education & Language Studies (IJELS) 2(2):1–9.
Townsend, Dr. Leanne, and Prof. Claire Wallace. 2016. “Social Media Research: A Guide to Ethics.” University of Aberdeen 1(16):1–16.
Tusa’adah, Laela, and Otong Setiawan Djauhari. 2025. “Sociolinguistic Study of English Abbreviations Frequently Used by Gen Z on Tiktok.” Jurnal Bima : Pusat Publikasi Ilmu Pendidikan Bahasa Dan Sastra 3(3):183–89. doi: 10.61132/bima.v3i3.2158.
Viono, Tono, Zully Hijah Yanti AD, Hasan Busri, and Hery Yanto The. 2023. “Language Dromology: A New Abbreviation Phenomenon in Twitter Messages.” KEMBARA: Jurnal Keilmuan Bahasa, Sastra, Dan Pengajarannya 9(2):611–22. doi: 10.22219/KEMBARA.V9I2.25660.
Wafa, Zaenul, and putri Dwike Amalia. 2022. “An Analysis of Slang Words Used for Comments on Instagram.” Journalistics: Journal of English Teaching and Applied Linguistics 2(1):60–69.
Wedananta, Kadek Adyatna, Ni Nyoman Padmadewi, Luh Putu Artini, and I. Gede Budasi. 2023. “Slang Words Used by Balinese Generation Z in Instagram Communication.” Theory and Practice in Language Studies 13(8):2097–2106. doi: 10.17507/TPLS.1308.26.
Xursanovna, Umurzakova Kommuna. 2025. “The Widespread Use of Slang and Abbreviations Among Youth On Social Media.” CONVERSE Journal Communication Science 1(3):5–5. doi: 10.47134/CONVERSE.V1I3.3674.
Zahidi, Nurul Syafika, and Norazean Sulaiman. 2017. “Constative An Analysis of Slang Words on Twitter.” International Journal of Modern Languages and Applied Linguistics 7(2):2023.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Silvia Utami, Tengku Nindy Ananda Putri, Dita Indah Sari, Assyifa Queen Zahabya
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
