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Lee, Seon-Yeong. 2016. A Study on the Formation of Slang Words. Korean Journal of Linguistics, 41-4, 619-635. Slang words mean ‘lowbrow words that are popularly used’. Many studies have made no distinction between slang words and coarse language. So slang words often have been regarded as reluctant expressions. But coarse language is the concept including slang words and vulgar words. The object that we must use carefully in a sentence is not slang words but vulgar words. Vulgar words are the ones that mean ‘look down on others or belittle opponent’. On the other hand, some slang words have been used naturally in everyday language life and sometimes slang words make our language life richer and more various. So far few studies have been conducted to find out the formation process and the usage of slang words, because of the confusion about slang words and vulgar words. In this paper we tried to sort out the formation process of slang words by types. The most typical ways to create slang words are metaphor. Generally in metaphor the meaning of person has been extended to the meaning of animal, and the meaning of animal has been extended to the meaning of the thing. On the contrary in the formation of slang words, the meaning of animal has been extended to the meaning of person, and the meaning of the thing has been extended to the meaning of person. Also metonymy make slang words. And we examined some affixes and collocations which create new slang words. More studies on the relation to slang words are necessary. (Hongik University)