Meagan Kenjh D. Sabado
Bachelor of Arts in the English Language
School of Teacher Education and Liberal Arts
ABSTRACT
One of the elements persistent throughout generations is a language change, especially their meanings. This research has taken an interest in Karen as a proper noun, typically named for baby girls. However, there is an evident change of meaning on the internet, and the word has become a pejorative. This means that the name has developed negative connotations over time, and these connotations are usually accepted as new meanings. This research delved into classifying the meanings associated with Karen, and these were divided into categories and layers. The meaning of Karen before and after becoming a meme was investigated through historical semantics and lexical change. Before Karen is a meme, it meant pure and unsullied from Scandinavian origins. After becoming a known meme, it has become a pejorative pertaining to a white, middle-aged blond woman. However, the meanings of Karen are not limited to these. The research, therefore, transcended to analyze the semantics of the sociocultural implications of Karen as portrayed in the memes. The findings yielded eight categories which include defining or describing Karen as (1) entitled, (2) Anti-science, (3) Microaggressive, (4) Used as a referent, (5) Intimidating, (6) Racist, (7) White supremacist, and (8) omophobic. These new meanings are all extracted through content analysis. Karen has become a matter of Linguistic phenomenon, specifically pejoration, and this phenomenon was affected and instigated by factors like the name’s demography, the internet, and popular culture.
Keywords: Meme, Pejorative, Semantic analysis, Semantic change, Karen
