This paper aims to examine today's representation of common curse words in a linguistic approach. I will have a look at five frequently used swearwords in the English language and evaluate those due to social features of the speaker and the addressee by using data from the BNCweb corpus.
In addition to that I will either prove or disprove some of the following assumptions made by Timothy Jay and Kristin Janschewitz for the circuit of the BNCweb corpus: “Swearing is influenced by pragmatic (contextual) variables such as the conversational
topic, the speaker-listener relationship, including gender, occupation, and status, and the social-physical setting of the communication with respect to whether the swearing takes place in a public or private location, one’s jurisdiction over the location, and the level of formality of the occasion.”
To narrow this down, I categorize my research in four classes: context, status, gender and additionally age. Finally, I conclude whether the above-mentioned social features influence a native English speaker's disposition to swear.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1 A Brief History of Swearing
1.2 Aim of this Thesis
2. Main part
2.1 Swearing and Context
2.2 Working with The BNCweb Corpus: A Selection of Swearwords
2.3 Swearwords and Status
2.4 Swearwords and Gender
2.5 Swearwords and Age
3. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This thesis investigates how social factors influence the disposition of native English speakers to use swearwords. By applying a linguistic approach and utilizing data from the BNCweb corpus, the study evaluates the usage of five common curse words in relation to specific pragmatic and demographic variables to determine whether these social features correlate with swearing frequency.
- Analysis of contextual settings and the role of formality in swearing.
- Evaluation of the relationship between social status, power, and offensive language.
- Examination of gender-based differences in swearing behavior and frequency.
- Investigation of age-related patterns in the acquisition and usage of expletives.
- Empirical analysis of swearword frequency using BNCweb corpus data.
Excerpt from the Book
1.1 A Brief History of Swearing
“spoken language began … when a cry of pain, formerly wrung out by real suffering, and seen to be understood and sympathized with, was repeated in imitation, no longer as a mere instinctive utterance, but for the purpose of imitating to another, “I am (was, shall be) suffering”; when an angry growl, formerly the direct expression of passion, was reproduced to signify disapprobation and threatening, and the like. This was enough to serve as a foundation for all that should be built upon it.”1
Cursing appears to be as old as language itself. But still it has been a long way until it finally was accepted as a proper linguistic topic. The theories of when and how swearing (which is used interchangeably with the term cursing in this essay) developed are diverse, but the general assumption, that it must have established closely connected to the first attempts of communication between human beings, is widely concurring. Hence, to find an appropriate definition of swearing one has to consider that the term had different meanings during the periods of time.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Provides an overview of the history of swearing and defines the research aims, focusing on how social variables influence the use of curse words.
2. Main part: Analyzes the influence of context, social status, gender, and age on the usage of five selected swearwords based on data extracted from the BNCweb corpus.
3. Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings, confirming that social features like context, status, gender, and age significantly impact the frequency and nature of swearing among native English speakers.
Keywords
Corpus Linguistics, BNCweb, Swearing, Cursing, Social Status, Gender, Age, Context, Pragmatics, Offensive Language, Expletives, Language Acquisition, Social Class, Socio-linguistics, Frequency Analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this thesis?
The thesis explores the linguistic and social dimensions of swearing, specifically examining how various social features influence a native English speaker's disposition to use offensive language.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The study covers the history of swearing, the importance of contextual settings, the connection between social status and power, gender differences in usage, and the role of age in the acquisition of curse words.
What is the main objective of this research?
The primary aim is to analyze the representation of common swearwords in English and to empirically evaluate how social variables such as context, status, gender, and age influence their use using BNCweb corpus data.
Which scientific methods were employed?
The author uses a corpus-based linguistic approach, analyzing frequency data and relative frequencies (PMW) of five selected swearwords retrieved from the BNCweb corpus.
What does the main part of the paper address?
It covers theoretical frameworks regarding swearing in context, the selection of specific swearwords, and detailed analytical chapters on how status, gender, and age influence the frequency of these terms.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include Corpus Linguistics, BNCweb, Swearing, Cursing, Social Status, Gender, Age, Context, Pragmatics, and Offensive Language.
How does social status affect the tendency to swear?
The research indicates that lower social classes tend to use swearwords more frequently, whereas higher social groups often avoid them to maintain professional credibility and social face.
Is there a significant difference between male and female swearing behavior?
Yes, while general frequencies do not always differ drastically, the study identifies that men and women use different types of expletives and in different conversational settings, with gender influencing the perception of offensiveness.
What role does age play in the usage of swearwords?
The study finds that cursing is learned early in childhood via conditioning and that the frequency of usage peaks during adolescence as individuals navigate their social status.
- Quote paper
- Elena Mertel (Author), 2015, Swearing and the English Corpus Linguistics, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/464320
