Now Reading: Delulu and rizz: Gen Z slang enters Indian parliament
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Delulu and rizz: Gen Z slang enters Indian parliament
Gen Z slang has moved from Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, where student protestors used it during the NEET paper leak protests, to the Indian parliament, where MPs have been heard calling each other…
The Story in Brief
Gen Z slang has moved from Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, where student protestors used it during the NEET paper leak protests, to the Indian parliament, where MPs have been heard calling each other 'delulu'. The Federal reports that the lingo, drawn from films, TV shows and social media, is reshaping everyday conversation.
For linguists, this is a familiar pattern: each generation makes the language its own. A 2025 study points to TikTok and Discord as the engines of change. But the core mechanisms, blending, shortening, borrowing, remain centuries old. The difference is speed; slang now goes from niche online communities to mainstream speech in days.
The Indian Opinion
It is easy to dismiss Gen Z slang as lazy or nonsensical, but that misses the point. Every generation has its shorthand; the real test is whether these words carry meaning beyond the group that coins them. Calling an MP 'delulu' on the floor of the house is either a sign of linguistic creativity or a symptom of declining public discourse. Which one will it be when the novelty wears off?
Source: thefederal.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
