The growing rate of slang and abbreviations in online messaging has dramatically impacted language use in everyday conversation. Internet slang has made its way into real-world speech, and now, dictionaries! Words such as ‘FIL’ (father in law) and ‘FOMO’ (fear of missing out) are featured in the Oxford Online Dictionary.
Sometimes, however, slang is lost in translation as different communities determine their own definitions for terms.
Young people far and wide commonly refer to one another as ‘b,’ but does anyone really know what the infamous ‘b’ stands for? Aside from being the second letter of the alphabet, as one witty commenter noted on Urban Dictionary, there are many different interpretations of this letter.
In modern language use, abbreviations are not uncommon. I’m sure most of us have seen ‘lol’ and ‘hmu’ time and time again. So, is it possible that ‘b’ is an incredibly short abbreviation of babe or brother, or even an abbreviation of an already existing acronym, ‘bae’?
After doing extensive research on online dictionaries and forums, I have uncovered the most common meanings for, ‘b’:
- A greeting to friends
- A shortened version of ‘Bro’
- Babe/Baby
- B**ch
- Bae
It is evident that these meanings are context dependent – differing based on who you are speaking to, about what, and what the situation may be. For example, talking to your significant other might constitute the use of ‘b’ as ‘bae’ or ‘babe’. But, if used in a conversation where there is obvious anger or tension, it may be used as a vulgarism.
Truth be told, we may never have a definitive answer to this long-standing question. You would be justified in using it with any one of these meanings.
In conclusion, next time you receive that ‘Hey b’ text, have a little think about what they really mean.
Jessica Gomes
Kinguistics 