This paper answers, how the word "bitch" evolved through time, when and how it became a slur, and how the slur reclamation is working.
The theoretical background will go over the different definitions of "bitch", explain what a slur reclamation is, and give a brief overview of the literature on the controversial use of the word. Then it will go into the methodology for acquiring data and move on to the data results and their analysis, discussing the following hypothesis about the semantic changes of "bitch":
1. The upcoming use of "bitch" as a derogatory led to an increased usage of the word.
2. Nowadays, "bitch" is not used as a slur anymore, since women reclaimed it.
“Fucking bitch”. That is what the Republican Ted Yoho called the Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on the steps of the House of Representatives, which led to an epic speech on sexism and violence against women in language. But Meredith Brook's lyrics “I'm a bitch, I'm a lover - I'm a child, I'm a mother - I'm a sinner, I'm a saint - I do not feel ashamed” still echoes. How can one word, "bitch", be used as a sexist insult and as feminist empowerment at the same time?
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Theoretical background
2.1. The different meanings of bitch
2.2. Slur reclamations
2.3. Literature review
3. Methods: a corpora-based study
4. Data analysis and discussion
4.1. First semantic change and total appearances
4.2. Collocations
5. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Topics
This paper investigates the historical and semantic evolution of the word "bitch," focusing on its transition from a neutral term to a gendered slur and the contemporary processes of linguistic reclamation. The study seeks to determine whether the use of the term as a form of empowerment successfully counters its derogatory history or if it continues to reinforce underlying sexist structures.
- Historical semantic shift from "female dog" to derogatory insult.
- Theoretical framework of slur reclamation (Pride vs. Insular reclamation).
- Corpus-based analysis using COHA and COCA data.
- Examination of collocations to identify contemporary usage patterns.
Excerpt from the Book
2.2. Slur reclamations
As the polysemy of bitch shows us, one of the most common use of the word is as a slur. Since bitch is most of the time referring to a woman, it counts as a gendered slur, or as Robin Jeshion, Professor in Philosophy (of languages and mind) at the University of Southern California explains: “I also discuss slurs of gender, (…), dominantly used as weapons not to reference a whole group by gender but rather to police behaviors and attitudes that defy misogynistic and patriarchal norms” (Jeshion 2019: 2). For Jeshion there are two predominant ways of reclaiming a pejorative representation: the “Pride Reclamation”, processes that link the representation to expressions of pride for being in the targeted group (the representation is presented publicly as an apt way to refer to this group). The other kind of reclamation is the “Insular Reclamation”, where the representation is used to “express and elicit camaderie among target members in the face of and to insulate from oppression”: this representation is not presented publicly as an apt way to refer to represented group (Jeshion 2019: 1). As the Philosopher says, slur reclamations often combine both ways.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the research question regarding the dual usage of "bitch" as a sexist insult and a term of empowerment, introducing the study's hypotheses.
2. Theoretical background: Explores the dictionary definitions, the evolution of meaning via metaphor, and the sociological concept of slur reclamation.
3. Methods: a corpora-based study: Details the use of the Corpus of Historical American English (COHA) and the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA) to track usage frequencies.
4. Data analysis and discussion: Examines the quantitative and qualitative findings, specifically the rise in usage during the 1930s and current collocation patterns.
5. Conclusion: Synthesizes findings, confirming that while some reclamation occurs, the term remains predominantly associated with derogatory contexts in corpus data.
Keywords
bitch, semantic change, slur, reclamation, corpus linguistics, COCA, COHA, gendered slur, misogyny, feminism, sociolinguistics, collocation, dictionary definitions, language evolution, metaphor
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this linguistic study?
The paper examines how the word "bitch" has evolved over time, specifically analyzing its development into a derogatory slur and the subsequent attempts by women to reclaim the term for empowerment.
What are the main thematic areas covered?
The research covers semantic shift, the sociology of gendered slurs, the theory of slur reclamation, and quantitative corpus-based linguistic analysis.
What is the central research question?
The author investigates how a single word can function simultaneously as a sexist insult and a symbol of feminist empowerment, and whether this reclamation effectively neutralizes the word's negative connotations.
Which methodology is employed in this research?
The study utilizes a corpus-based approach, analyzing historical data from the Corpus of Historical American English (COHA) and contemporary usage data from the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA).
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body covers the historical timeline of the word's emergence as an insult, an analysis of its frequency, and an investigation of its common collocates to determine if the term is still used primarily in derogatory contexts.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include "bitch," "semantic change," "slur," "reclamation," "corpus linguistics," "misogyny," and "feminism."
How does the author define "Pride Reclamation"?
The author, referencing Robin Jeshion, defines "Pride Reclamation" as a process where a targeted group uses a slur publicly to express pride in their identity.
What is the significance of the 1930s in this study?
The 1930s represent the period where the word began to be widely used as an insult, marking a significant increase in its frequency as a gendered slur.
Does the data support the hypothesis that the word is fully reclaimed?
No, the corpus data suggests that "bitch" is still overwhelmingly used as an insult, as evidenced by its frequent association with other slurs in collocation lists.
What is the role of media in the use of the word?
The study indicates that popular media, particularly TV and movies, have a significant impact on the high frequency and continued usage of the term.
- Citar trabajo
- Camille Simonin (Autor), 2020, The semantic changes of the word "bitch", Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1187658
