Dear catman11-ga;
Thank you for allowing me to answer your interesting question. The
meaning of the slang term ?def? is clear:
Def
(1)Adj. Something very hip. ie. "That jam was def."
GLOSSARY OF EIGHTIES TERMS
http://www.inthe80s.com/glossary.shtml
Jesse Sheidlower, educated in English linguistics at the University
of Chicago and Cambridge University, said:
?There are millions of words in slang used to praise something --
"phat," "def," "dope" -- all very current. But there is a reason for
that, in slang, words have to be current and up to date and that's a
semantic domain that really needs to have a lot of words. There always
needs to be a word meaning cool.?
FAST-US-8 'POWER, PRIDE & POLITICS IN AMERICAN ENGLISH'
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSLATION STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF TAMPERE
http://www.uta.fi/FAST/US8/REF/scheidlo.html
How did this term evolve? My first thought was that the term ?def?
probably arose from the word ?definitely?, as in ?definitely cool?,
but I found that this was probably not so:
?Def: A high form of praise. However, the term was originally
pronounced "death" but constant usage cause its evolution to the
current pronunciation. Def, like dope and bad?the granddaddy of slang
expressions?is an example of the way urban black English has made the
negative seem positive or made that which is unpopular in the eyes of
mass culture, popular in the eyes of underground culture.?
FRESH FLY FLAVOR: WORDS AND PHRASES OF THE HIP-HOP GENERATION
http://www.weberpl.lib.ut.us/roughdraft/2000/RDspring00/lang_books_3.htm
On the other hand there are other plausible linguistic explanations for the term:
?Other Wolof grammar constructions are similar to those in African
American speech. For example, "def" is the Wolof verb "to do" or "to
make." In Wolof, 'djam" (jam) means "peace." In African American
parlance, "def" is an adjective or adverb describing something of
"excellent [or] highest praise." "Def jam,"literally "to make peace,"
may have made its way into African American speech in the 1990s in
"Def Comedy Jam ." The young African American performers who gave this
name to their group may not be aware of these words' similarity to
their African language inheritance.?
AFRICAN UPDATE ARCHIVES
http://www.ccsu.edu/Afstudy/upd4-3.html
In summary, this, like many slang words, has an origin shrouded in
mystery. While the meaning of ?def? as used in slang has a clear and
distinct meaning in hip-hop culture, it?s origins are much more
elusive.
I hope you find that my research exceeds your expectations. If you
have any questions about my research please post a clarification
request prior to rating the answer. Otherwise I welcome your rating
and your final comments and I look forward to working with you again
in the near future. Thank you for bringing your question to us.
Best regards;
Tutuzdad-ga ? Google Answers Researcher
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