The nature, types, motives, and functions of swear words: a sociolinguistic analysis

This theoretical paper discusses swearwords. It is based on the data drawn from the wide literature of swearing and taboo language. A sociolinguistic approach was adopted to discuss and analyze various aspects of swearing. This paper aims to identify the nature, types, motives, and functions of swear words. Based on the analysis, this study concluded that there are several and different classification systems of ‘bad language’ and ‘swear words’ and that is due to the fact that the value of ‘badness’ in all languages are constantly changing. The study has revealed many types of swear words; namely epithet, profanity, obscenity, cursing, blasphemy, taboo, vulgarity or the use of substandard vulgar terms, slang, insults, scatology, semantic derogation, ethnic/racial/ gender slurs, animal names mentioning, ancestral allusions, and propositional and non- propositional swearing which include dysphemistic, euphemistic, abusive, idiomatic, cathartic and emphatic swearing. It is also found that despite the various classification systems of swear words, however it is still difficult to reveal clear cut differences between the proposed types. It was inferred by the results of this discussion that there are many reasons, motives, and functions for swearing among both genders which include: expressing the speaker’s feelings in certain situations, achieving positive or negative impact on others, producing a pain lessening (hypoalgesic) effect, venting the emotions and non-emphatic feelings such as anger, frustration, surprise, sorrow, surprise, humor, and joy. Finally, it was inferred by this study that gender and age play a powerful role in swearing among both males and females.