This paper is an attempt at detecting the 30 most frequent ‘Taboo Homonyms’ in the latest Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, henceforth OALD, 10th edition. Three hypotheses have been included in this regard. First, taboo can be carried not only by the semantic level but by many other levels, such as pragmatics, phonology, phonetics. This can certainly be applicable to the phenomenon of homonymy. Second, semantic change may lead to turning some homonyms into taboo words. Thirdly, taking a sociolinguistic differentiation among linguistic forms into account, taboo affects all types of words regardless of their origins, formality, the domain in which they are utilized, and the speech community that are using them. Measuring the negative linguistic expressions of taboo homonyms, the use of the ABC-hypothesis of taboo words, proposed by Rosenberg et al. (2017), is adopted here so that a clear-cut distinction can be made on three levels: very offensive, offensive and disapproving taboo homonyms. Not to mention time, which plays a considerable role in the change of norms and standards of the taboo use, e.g., what is taboo today may not be taboo tomorrow.
Following the real fact that people vary the style of speaking to fit the occasion, they often avoid using certain vocabularies that may offend others or arouse their disapproval or may intentionally use these expressions for some reason. A salient instance of such avoidance is the use of taboo words and phrases. In all societies, there are taboo words that are avoided because they are felt to give bad realization to what they refer to. The extent to which such words are used varies generally between cultures.
Table of Contents
2. Literature Review: Some Issues Concerning Taboo vs. Homonyms
2.1 The Notion of Taboo
2.1.1 Taboo Definitions
2.1.2 Taboo Etymology, History & Typology
2.1.3 Taboo and Euphemism Repertoires
2.2 The Notion of Homonymy
2.2.1 Taboo Homonyms
2.2.2 Motivations of Taboo Expressions
2.2.3 Taboo Conditions and Social Status
2.3 Lexicology vs. Lexicography
3. Methodology
3.1 Research Design
3.2 Data Collection and Analysis
3.3 Reliability of Data Source
3.4 Data Graphs
4. Data Analysis and Result
5. Conclusions
Objectives and Topics
This paper aims to perform a lexicographical investigation of the 30 most frequent 'Taboo Homonyms' in the 10th edition of the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (OALD). By utilizing WordSmith Tools and the ABC-hypothesis of taboo words, the study examines how taboo expressions impact the negative and positive meanings of words across different linguistic levels and sociolinguistic contexts.
- Lexicographical analysis of taboo homonyms in OALD.
- Application of the ABC-hypothesis to categorize taboo levels (very offensive, offensive, disapproving).
- Sociolinguistic study of taboo usage in relation to social class and identity.
- Exploration of the relationship between euphemisms, taboo, and semantic change.
- Statistical investigation of taboo homonym frequencies via WordSmith Tools.
Excerpt from the Book
2.2.1 Taboo Homonyms
In almost all societies, there are cultural taboos which influence the kind of speech-style that people employ in order to communicate with one another properly. That is, taboos affect the language imposing complexities and/or constraints in the use and choice of language. This is because the addresser is forced to modify the way he/she speaks with others in many contexts, especially in the polite ones. The addresser has, at least, to make his/her style suitable for the context. Like homonymy, taboo occurs on many different levels which have been recognised and explained in this work. Taboo mainly occurs on the semantic level where a word, for example, has an explicit negative meaning, such as prick, Hun, puny, popery, harlot, boner, etc.
Usually, cultural taboos (objects, ideas, or activities) are expressed by various linguistic expressions (words and phrases), a notable amount of which are polysemous. Salzmann (1998:102) indicates that “Many English words are polysemous (having several different senses)”. Many of these polysemous words have become taboo mainly because they were used as euphemisms to refer to taboo things. That is, one meaning of the form is mechanically and gradually turned to be negative, and this usually affects other meaning(s) of the same form that is positive. Palmer (1981:92-3) validates the above phenomenon “Words even become taboo when the distasteful object is referred to by the word in a different sense (whether it is homonymous or polysemous)”. For example, the word dyke means a channel that carries water away from the land and also means lesbian which is the offensive sense of the pair. The same social implication lies in the word queen which means ‘female ruler’ and ‘homosexual’.
Summary of Chapters
2. Literature Review: Some Issues Concerning Taboo vs. Homonyms: Provides a theoretical foundation by defining the concepts of taboo, homonymy, and their intersection with sociolinguistics and lexicography.
3. Methodology: Details the research design, data collection processes using WordSmith Tools, and the application of Allan’s descriptive approach and the ABC-hypothesis for classification.
4. Data Analysis and Result: Presents the findings regarding the frequency and categorization of the 30 most frequent taboo homonyms extracted from the OALD.
5. Conclusions: Synthesizes the study's findings, highlighting that taboo usage is context-dependent and influenced by linguistic and social heterogeneity.
Keywords
Lexicography, Taboo, Homonymy, WordSmith Tools, Euphemism, Sociolinguistics, ABC-hypothesis, Semantic Change, Linguistic Heterogeneity, Social Status, British English, American English, Negative Expressions, Word Frequency, Lexical Analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
This research focuses on performing a lexicographical investigation into the 30 most frequent 'Taboo Homonyms' found in the 10th edition of the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary.
What are the key thematic areas addressed?
The core themes include the intersection of taboo and homonymy, the role of euphemisms, the impact of sociolinguistic factors, and the categorization of taboo intensity.
What is the main research objective?
The primary goal is to analyze the effect of taboo expressions on word meanings and to distinguish between different levels of taboo (very offensive, offensive, and disapproving) using the ABC-hypothesis.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The study utilizes both quantitative and qualitative methods, including statistical analysis via WordSmith Tools and descriptive analysis based on Allan’s model.
What content is covered in the main body?
The main body covers the theoretical background of taboo and homonymy, the motivations behind taboo expressions, the influence of social status, and a detailed analysis of data graphs and frequency results.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include Lexicography, Taboo, Homonymy, WordSmith Tools, Euphemism, Sociolinguistics, and Semantic Change.
How does the ABC-hypothesis categorize taboo homonyms?
The ABC-hypothesis classifies taboo homonyms into three distinct levels: very offensive, offensive, and disapproving.
Why is the concept of 'social mobility' significant to this study?
Social mobility is significant because the movement between social classes impacts an individual's linguistic choices, often forcing shifts in the usage of formal versus taboo vocabulary.
How do British and American English differ in this analysis?
The study notes that certain expressions are taboo in one dialect but not another, indicating that British and American English utilize negative expressions differently based on cultural values.
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- Prof. Dr. Riyadh Tariq Kadhim Al-Ameedi (Autor:in), Abdul-Haq Abdul-Kareem Abdullah Al-Sahlani (Autor:in), 2021, A Lexicographical Account of the Negative Linguistic Expressions of English Taboo Homonyms in the Latest OALD, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/1023668
