Real as adverb?

Question

I've seen/heard 'rea' used as an adverb instead of 'really', so I'm wondering, is that just laziness of speech or is that actually correct?

MountainHiker · Accepted Answer

rea is just laziness or local slang.

Hope that helps.

NanakiXIII · Answer

Thank  you.

MountainHiker · Answer

My pleasure.

Migo · Answer

It's appropriate in informal speech. It's only used in American, Canadian and Scottish English.

MountainHiker · Answer

It's appropriate in informal speech. It's only used in American, Canadian and Scottish English.

Migo, rea is appropriate in informal speech?? I think many people would just look at you funny if you just blurted out "rea" when you meant "really". I know I certainly would. Informal, to me, means that it is widely used and accepted across most age ranges, both sexes, and amongst various socioeconomic groups. But "rea" isn't there. At best, rea is slang.

Don't believe me? Try Googling "rea" and how many hits do you get for "rea" where it is meant as a substitute for really? While there are about 3 million hits for rea, after searching through 3 pages, I didn't find a single instance of where "rea" was a substitute or slang for "really".

Now try Googling "cuz" for "because" or "cousin". Cuz is not informal; it is merely slang too. There are about 2 million hits, but there are most appear to be slang for "because".

So you see the difference? Rea is not widely known or used. When Googled, you get a lot "rea's" that pertain to different things other than the word "really". When you Google "cuz", a popular slang word, you see it used frequently. It is very easy to find websites that use "cuz" to mean "because". You can't say that for "rea."

So in summary, rea is not appropriate for informal speech. It is at best slang.

Migo · Answer

The tilte of the thread was Real not Rea, which is what I was referring to. Nobody says "rea" it isn't even a word, period. "Real" however is used, it is a word, and it is appropriate in certain contexts.

Google isn't an appropriate means of determining whether something is correct or not. The Oxford English Dictionary, which is what I used, is.

MountainHiker · Answer

Google isn't an appropriate means of determining whether something is correct or not. The Oxford English Dictionary, which is what I used, is.

Surprisingly enough, Googling for terms is very commonplace. You can certainly tell whether a new slang word has become popular.

For example, most dictionaries don't count "google" as one of their verbs. But yet, most of the "Internet" public does, which means you and me. "Google" that term, that word, or that phrase. Everyone understands what you mean.

Try Googling "verb google" (without the quotes), and do you get any hits? I certainly got a few. Here's one [url="http://www.marketingprofs.com/4/arruda12.asp"]MarketingProfs.com"[/url]. Here's another [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_(verb)"]link[/url].

Dictionaries are fine for established stuff. But new words, terms, and slang are often better found on Google.

With regard to your comment that "real" is okay for informal speech, I agree. It is often used in informal speech. So NanakiXIII if you are still tuning in, please reconsider my answer. I focused on the written portion of your text and overlooked your title.

Hope that helps.

Migo · Answer

I agree google is a viable research tool, but anything that turns up would have to be verified beyond the fact that it was found using google. Also, while a number of results does indicate that it may have entered common usage, a lack of results doesn't necessarily mean that it hasn't.

I use google myself, but I don't rely on the results turned up by it unless they can be independently verified.

MountainHiker · Answer

Also, while a number of results does indicate that it may have entered common usage, a lack of results doesn't necessarily mean that it hasn't.

I'd be surprised if something entered common usage, yet it lacked getting several hits on Google. With all the blogs (web logs) and other Internet media, I doubt that anything is able to enter mainstream society without generating lots of Google hits.

But we're drifting far away from the topic at hand, and I suspect we really don't disagree very much anyway.

Migo · Answer

and I suspect we really don't disagree very much anyway.

I suspect the same. I'm breaking into semantics as they're rather necessary for the English papers I'm writing.

Real as adverb?

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