Shawty (/ˈʃɔːti/ ), shorty, shauty or shortie is a slang term from African American Vernacular English used generally as a nonspecific term of endearment. Shawty is a Southern[1] and African American variant of shorty,[2] and can refer to someone of any gender who is shorter in stature compared to a taller person. It is also frequently used to amicably address newcomers, children,[3] and good friends.[1] However, in specific settings, it can be interpreted as a catcall. Since the 1990s,[3] the term has also been used to refer to young and attractive women, mostly in hip hop tracks from that decade and those from the early 2000s.[4][3]

"Shawty" graffiti in Turkey

In hip hop music

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Below is a list of songs which contain the term in the lyrics.

(with Eem Triplin)]]" a 2024 song by Camila Cabello

Other genres

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Rappers Flirt with the Word 'Shawty'". USA Today, 6 August 2007.
  2. ^ Nolan, Melanie. "The shorty story: A look at w the word became popular in rap songs". Burlington County Times. Archived from the original on 2021-05-04. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  3. ^ a b c "The Etymology of Shorty". poly-graph.co. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  4. ^ "What in the World Does 'Shawty' Even Mean? also for shawty bae". Lifewire. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  5. ^ Spady, James G.; Lee, Charles G.; Alim, H. Samy (1999). Street Conscious Rap. Black History Museum, Umum/Loh Publishers. p. 394. ISBN 978-0967174105.