The language of online communities is a specific and sometimes extravagant phenomenon. Stormy discussions of topics on social networks, heated discussions on forums are full of jargon, which confuse random visitors to websites. The regulars of VKontakte, Facebook and other platforms for communication seek to express their thoughts briefly, richly and emotionally. Therefore slang words slip in their messages.
Some jargon, for example IMHO, have become familiar. Others have just come into use. This refers to the word "cake". "What does it mean? Kek - insult or approval? ” - asks at the sight of an incomprehensible word, a person uninitiated in the intricacies of the modern Internet language. Let's get it right. Otherwise, awkward situations, ridiculous incidents and conflicts cannot be avoided.
What is cake?
Kek is used mainly by young people on social networks, thematic online communities and in the gaming environment. In a broad sense, this word means "laughter", and it always has a negative connotation. Depending on the situation, the cake can be interpreted in different ways: slight mockery, malicious smirk, sarcasm, irony, neglect, contempt, mockery, and even outright insult. That's what the word “cake” means in youth slang. This jargon conveys a wide range of feelings, but is not always a form of direct aggression. Situations are different. And its shades vary depending on the case.
Kek: instead of a thousand words
Interlocutors can discuss their enemies and their actions in personal correspondence, sending each other the word “cake” in messages. Thus, they demonstrate unity of opinion or give a general assessment of the situation. Kek is the answer to a silly question or an unpleasant ridiculous sentence. He suppresses further discussion in the blink of an eye, but it can lead to conflict.
Kek is an open insult to a person who is engaged in trolling. This word can play the role of not only interjection, but also a noun or adjective. In this case, it can be interpreted as a swear word: "Well, you and cake (kekknut)!" You ask: "What does this mean?" Kek in this case will be synonymous with the word "loser." These are the main cases of using new jargon.
Lol and cake: similarities and differences
The word "cake" has synonyms. Among them is the acronym LOL. Although both jargon express laughter, they are not always identical. To be able to distinguish them is necessary. Otherwise, the Internet user can expect a rather large embarrassment. It all depends on what lol means. And cake cannot always replace it. LOL extremely rarely carries negative emotions. The acronym stands for laughing out loud, which means "dying of laughter."
LOL is a burst of laughter. A sign that the joke was a success. This is a kind of compliment to the interlocutor's sense of humor. Unrestrained, almost hysterical laughter - that's what lol means. Kek can become his full synonym only in an exceptional case. For example, when a person, not understanding the meaning of the acronym, uses it as an insult. Such incidents rarely occur and are considered a mistake. The echidic brother of the Internet meme LOL is not used in a purely positive sense. This is due to its origin.
Where did the word "cake" come to Runet?
Kek is from Korea. The word appeared there more than ten years ago. For the first time, fans of the Korean network game StarCraft began to use it in chat rooms. Participants in space fights exchanged messages between themselves. Overwhelmed with excitement and thirst for victory, the players tried to cheat each other, prick and show their superiority. And the word "cake" helped them in this. At the right time, with his help, they gloated over the defeat of the opponent, grinned sarcastically when their victory became obvious, and also expressed other aggressive emotions.
In this context, the question is interesting: how is the word “cake” translated? The answer lies in a special Korean laugh. Its sound can be indicated on the letter by the word kekeke. It went into the gaming environment in abbreviated form kek. The word quickly took root among gamers. And when the StarCraft game became popular abroad, it quickly became popular with foreigners. Over the years, Korean slangism fluttered out of the playing space and became part of the everyday communication of the regulars of social networks in RuNet.
Funny matches: cake and lulz
Resourceful internet slang fans found an interesting coincidence. If you type “cake” in Latin letters on the keyboard without first switching it to English, the letter combination “lul” will appear on the computer screen. Observing Internet inhabitants immediately drew an analogy with the word lulz. Translated from English, it means a grin. And according to the version of the newspaper The New-York Times, it expresses joy at all from disturbing other people's peace. What does it mean? "Kek" - a word that comes from English? Of course not. This is a simple coincidence. However, it caused an emotional reaction among users. Such associations, as you know, contribute to the memorization of new words. Perhaps that is why slangism has taken root in Runet.
Echidna grin and activated sludge: what can they have in common?
New-fashioned word means not only malevolent laughter. Online dictionaries interpret it differently. According to them, cake is activated sludge. Such a substance looks live, to put it mildly, not very attractive. Brown watery mass causes unambiguous associations. Vivid images, especially disgusting and ugly, remain in a person's memory for a long time. In fact, activated sludge and a malicious smile do not have a center of contact. However, they have one name - cake. So now people are putting even more negativity and contempt into this slangism.
Kek and Shrek - an unusual association
Associated with the word "cake" and quite friendly images. So called the famous cartoon hero Shrek. The emergence of this rather strange association is associated with the game World of Warcraft. There has been a war on the net for years between the orc faction and the Alliance, and enemy parties are constantly in correspondence. Once during the game an unusual story with messages occurred. The acronym LOL, which the orcs sent to the Alliance, displayed the chat filter as a cake. Immediately no one understood what this meant. Kek aroused surprise at first, then interest.
Players began to actively use the new word. However, it was always associated with orcs. On the Internet, the word stuck tightly to Shrek. Many users look indignantly at this association. After all, everyone knows that Shrek is an ogre. However, do not forget that these creatures are almost always on the side of the orcs in the world of World of Warcraft.
So our brief excursion into the history and etymology of the word “cake” has ended. Now you can not be afraid of misunderstanding, awkward pauses and embarrassments. Enjoy your time on the World Wide Web, dear users!