nuorisokieli

Nuorisokieli (Finnish for "youth language") refers to the language varieties used by Finnish youths, particularly adolescents and young adults. It is not a separate language but a sociolinguistic phenomenon—a dynamic set of slang terms, new words, shortened forms, and stylistic choices that emerge in informal contexts.

Features often include new or repurposed words, borrowings from English and Swedish, shortened forms, and stylized spellings, along with specialized grammar in certain subcultures. Digital media amplify nuorisokieli through abbreviations, memes, hashtags, and internet-specific expressions, causing rapid turnover of terms. Speakers frequently switch between nuorisokieli and standard Finnish depending on audience and setting.

Functions include signaling group membership, identity, and solidarity, while enabling linguistic play and creative expression. It can serve as a privacy tool in conversations with adults and as a means of resisting standard language norms. Variation exists across regions, subcultures, and age groups, and many terms are transient.

Research into nuorisokieli is part of Finnish sociolinguistics, examining how media, peer networks, and education shape the lexicon and usage. While informal or nonstandard in some contexts, nuorisokieli is a recognized facet of language dynamics among Finnish youth and contributes to the ongoing evolution of Finnish slang and youth discourse.