Cyberculture as a Catalyst for Verbification in Modern English Formal Discourse

Authors

  • Innocent Zitha

    School of Languages, Faculty of Humanities, North-West University, Mahikeng 2745, South Africa
  • Oneil N Madden

    Language Teaching and Research Centre (LTRC), University of Technology, Kingston 6, Jamaica
  • Ditshego Masete

    Faculty of Law, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
  • Mzamani Steven Khosa

    Department of English, Media Studies and Linguistics, University of Venda, Thohoyandou 0950, South Africa

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i4.8529
Received: 22 January 2025 | Revised: 14 March 2025 | Accepted: 24 March 2025 | Published Online: 8 April 2025

Abstract

This study examined the formal communication habits of 120 university students at a rural institution in 2024, on the Moodle Discussion forum. This qualitative research used a comprehensive methodology combing case study approaches with thematic and critical discourse analysis to examine verbification in contemporary English language among university students. The theory of diffusion of innovation facilitated a comprehensive examination of the subject matter, contributing to a substantial collection of descriptive insights on the underlying discourses present in the data. This approach enabled a thorough analysis of the phenomena under study. The findings of the study show the effects of cyberculture on the English language, revealing a landscape rich with newly crafted words and expressions formed from technological interaction. Subsequently, this study reports these changes’ profound influence on literature, underscoring the substantial contributions that emerge from this realm of linguistic innovation. Striking this balance can cultivate a more inclusive and dynamic learning atmosphere to acknowledge language evolution and the foundational principles of effective communication. This study uncovered intriguing dynamics that reflect a significant shift in language use. Moreover, it revealed that cyberculture plays a crucial role in fostering verbification in formal discourse. This trend indicates that the transformation of nouns into verbs is now regarded as a modern characteristic of formal communication. To effectively address these challenges, it is essential to establish a clear framework for tolerance regarding using verbing in formal communication.

Keywords:

Cyberculture; Colloquialism; Denominalisation; Derivation; Non-Standard; Slang; Social Media

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How to Cite

Zitha, I., Madden, O. N., Masete, D., & Khosa, M. S. (2025). Cyberculture as a Catalyst for Verbification in Modern English Formal Discourse. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(4), 385–394. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i4.8529

Issue

Vol. 7 , Iss. 4 (April 2025)

Article Type

Article

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Copyright © 2025 Innocent Zitha, Oneil N Madden, Ditshego Masete, Mzamani Steven Khosa

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.