Swearing and Taboo Language - LING 269

Classes skipped: 6.5/7

terms and themes

• Taboo word taxonomy
• Types of swearing - informative, sociative, and emotive
• Aspects of linguistic meaning
• Grammar in linguistics
• Iconicity and sound symbolism
• Rules of expletive infixation
• X-phemisms
• Formal innovations for euphemisms
• Evolution of swearing
• Frigatives
• Etymology of the word fuck
• Fuck has two main uses with two different semantic and syntactic properties
• Swearing across cultures
• Swearing acquisition in L1
• Punishment is ineffective for curbing swearing in children
• Psychology of swearing
  • Structure of the brain
  • Evidence for brain lateralization
    • Aphasia can be split into Broca’s aphasia and Wernicke’s aphasia
    • The brain’s lateralization of language tasks
  • The limbic system is responsible for the four Fs
  • Coprolalia refers to uncontrollable, compulsive swearing or socially inappropriate remarks
  • Tourette Syndrome
  • Lalochezia refers to the emotional or physical relief from stress or pain gained by swearing
• Swearing is closely tied to power
• Free speech
  • Defaming and libelous speech, words which pose an imminent danger, fighting words, and obscenity are unprotected by the First Amendment
  • Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
  • U. Penn’s 1993 “Water Buffalo” Incident
  • Free speech is chilled when it is suppressed out of fear of punishment - chilling effect

readings

• 250107 LING 269 week 1 readings
• 250112 LING 269 week 2 readings

lectures

• 250108 LING 269 lecture 1 - defining taboo language
• 250110 LING 269 lecture 2 - classes of taboo words
• 250113 LING 269 lecture 3 - types of swearing
• 250115 LING 269 lecture 4 - aspects of meaning
• 250117 LING 269 lecture 5 - basics of grammar
• 250122 LING 269 lecture 6 - sound and meaning
• 250124 LING 269 lecture 7 - infixation
• 250128 LING 269 lecture 8 - x-phemisms
• 250129 LING 269 lecture 9 - types of euphemisms
• 250131 LING 269 lecture 10 - types of euphemisms and fauxphemisms
• 250203 LING 269 lecture 11 - history of English swearing
• 250205 LING 269 lecture 12 - history of English swearing continued
• 250210 LING 269 lecture 13 - history of English swear words
• 250212 LING 269 lecture 14 - fuck
• 250214 LING 269 lecture 15 - the grammar and syntax of fuck
• 250219 LING 269 lecture 16 - swearing across cultures
• 250221 LING 269 lecture 17 - swearing across cultures
• 250224 LING 269 lecture 18 - L1 swearing
• 250226 LING 269 lecture 19 - L2 swearing
• 250228 LING 269 lecture 20 - language and the brain, the basics
• 250303 LING 269 lecture 21 - the swearing brain
• 250306 LING 269 lecture 22 - the swearing brain
• 250307 LING 269 lecture 23 - socioswearing
• 250312 LING 269 lecture 24 - socioswearing
• 250312 LING 269 lecture 25 - swearing and law
• 250314 LING 269 lecture 26 - swearing and law

resources

related

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