The linguistics of Bat-gadgets, like the Batwing and Batarang, and their influence upon media and the English language is massive. Let’s look into it.
At the end of nearly every episode of the Adam West and Burt Ward helmed 1966 Batman, viewers were urged to return the next week, “same Bat-Time, same Bat-Channel!” The show is looked back on fondly by its watchers as its unique brand of respectful parody shone through especially in ways like this. Every noun concerning Batman is a Bat-Noun, from Batarangs to Batmobiles. This even extended to the channel on which the show aired.
Language evolves based upon the public consciousness. Of course, the popularity of Batman over the nearly 82 years of the franchise’s existence was sure to have an influence upon language. Even more so than Burt Ward’s “Holy Toledo,” the Bat- prefix is one of the lasting aspects of the comics, shows, and movies. This compound changed not only the language of superheroes but the English language the world over.
Bat-Gadgets began almost alongside Batman, but the first few issues didn’t feature most of the aspects of Batman that are most familiar to readers today. “Bat-Man” drove a sporty red car, used silken ropes to catch foes, and killed them while wearing lavender gloves. The telltale cowl and cape were still present, and it didn’t take long for the Dark Knight proper to emerge.
By his third appearance, Batman had dropped the hyphen in his name. By his fourth, the purple gloves had been swapped out for the familiar blue. Finally, in Detective Comics #31, the first Bat-Gadgets, the Batgyro (a precursor to the Batwing), and the Batarang appeared.
These Bat-Gadgets are an example of compounding. Compound words generally carry more meaning than the individual words making them up. In superhero media and as derived from Batman, these gadgets don’t have to do with a bat, but with the titular hero. This is because of the use of Totems, the animal representing a hero (e.g., Spider-Man and spiders or Batman and bats). When exposed to Superhero-Totem combinations like Batman and Bat-Gadgets, studies show people are more likely to expect language structures like this to be the norm. A Bat-glove is more likely to be a glove belonging to Batman than a glove used for catching bats. This is because “Bat” before a noun in English means the noun is about Batman, not a literal bat.
Over the next 80 years, Google Ngrams, a language use tracking software, shows “Bat” as an adjective became used 50% more across the entirety of the English language. Occurrences before a noun nearly tripled. The statistical explosion of “Bat” as a non-noun is almost entirely because of Batman and its licenses.
The Bat-Noun structures carried to the gadgets of other heroes, as well. Spider-Man briefly drove a Spider-Mobile. People were more likely to believe that this is a car driven by Spider-Man than a car that in some way resembled a spider. This is due to the popularity of Spider-Man and the precedent set by Batman’s gadgets.
As another example, Green Arrow’s lair is the “Arrow Cave.” As pointed out by Harley Quinn in Injustice Year 1, Part 2, this doesn’t make sense, as arrows have nothing to do with caves. The joke came from the reader’s acceptance that superhero totem-noun simply makes sense. This accepted format comes from Batman‘s influence on media. From unintentional to serious to parody, using the structure came to be a standard across publications, especially for its originator, Batman himself.
During the Adam West Batman (1966) series, the neurotic labeling of a ridiculous assortment of Bat-Gadgets was self-parody. This culminated in the Batman (1966) movie’s use of Shark-Repellent Bat-Spray. In video games, movies, and comics, Batman’s villains parody the Bat-nomenclature, taking meta-humor and linguistic presence of Bat-Gadgets even further.
The “Bat-” trend has only gotten stronger over the decades, as proven by the statistics on its use in literature and popular culture. As meta-humor and meta-commentary, Bat-Gadgets’ influence on culture has the language map of fans and non-fans alike. As the years go on, the medium of comic books continues to influence not just popular culture, but the entire human experience.
About The Author
For all the latest Comics News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
