9. The socio-cognitive aspects of taboo in two cultures: A case study on Polish and British English
-
Anna Kuzio
Abstract
Taboo is a multifaceted cultural phenomenon. Socio-cognitive and cultural aspects of taboo are dimensions that require further analysis, especially since contact between various cultures is becoming increasingly frequent. This paper investigates linguistic taboos in Polish and British English societies with regard to the social context in which they are exploited and the socio-cultural factors which influence their employment in various contexts. Specifically, the paper identifies the categories of linguistic taboos in Polish and British English and investigates the strategies employed by native speakers to avoid using taboo expressions. A major means of avoidance involves the substitution of taboo words with more proper expressions. These include jargon terms, constructions, euphemisms, creative synonyms, metaphoric expressions and circumlocution. The paper also studies why definite words are taboo in a society and why certain taboo words are complemented by specific conventionally-fixed words. The taboo words in Polish and English societies are divided into general and context specific categories, each with their own subcategories. The outcome of this study should provide a useful basis for the study of differing sensitivity arising from the discussion of taboo topics in Polish-British English intercultural communication. The study began with the distribution of questionnaires 80 Polish and 80 British English speakers of varying educational background and age. The subjects were chosen on the basis of convenience random sampling and the data were analyzed employing SPSS 21.0. The results show that many respondents believed that taboo words should not be used publicly or openly where certain topics should not be discussed candidly. Nevertheless, the cultural norms and the notion of politeness play significant roles in restricting the open use of these taboo words. The British English respondents seemed to be more expressive in using taboo words in expressing their emotions than the Poles. It is also apparent that the acceptability of taboo words depends on the domains and contexts of use.
Abstract
Taboo is a multifaceted cultural phenomenon. Socio-cognitive and cultural aspects of taboo are dimensions that require further analysis, especially since contact between various cultures is becoming increasingly frequent. This paper investigates linguistic taboos in Polish and British English societies with regard to the social context in which they are exploited and the socio-cultural factors which influence their employment in various contexts. Specifically, the paper identifies the categories of linguistic taboos in Polish and British English and investigates the strategies employed by native speakers to avoid using taboo expressions. A major means of avoidance involves the substitution of taboo words with more proper expressions. These include jargon terms, constructions, euphemisms, creative synonyms, metaphoric expressions and circumlocution. The paper also studies why definite words are taboo in a society and why certain taboo words are complemented by specific conventionally-fixed words. The taboo words in Polish and English societies are divided into general and context specific categories, each with their own subcategories. The outcome of this study should provide a useful basis for the study of differing sensitivity arising from the discussion of taboo topics in Polish-British English intercultural communication. The study began with the distribution of questionnaires 80 Polish and 80 British English speakers of varying educational background and age. The subjects were chosen on the basis of convenience random sampling and the data were analyzed employing SPSS 21.0. The results show that many respondents believed that taboo words should not be used publicly or openly where certain topics should not be discussed candidly. Nevertheless, the cultural norms and the notion of politeness play significant roles in restricting the open use of these taboo words. The British English respondents seemed to be more expressive in using taboo words in expressing their emotions than the Poles. It is also apparent that the acceptability of taboo words depends on the domains and contexts of use.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Foreword V
- Table of contents IX
- List of contributing Authors XI
- Introduction 1
- 1. Lexicon, discourse and cognition: terminological delimitations in the conceptualizations of linguistic taboo 13
-
Part I: Construal
- 2. The axiological and communicative potential of homosexual-related metaphors 35
- 3. Metonymy-based euphemisms in war-related speeches by George W. Bush and Barack Obama 55
- 4. Ambiguity and vagueness as cognitive tools for euphemistic and politically correct speech 79
-
Part II: Cultural Conceptualization
- 5. Old age revolution in Australian English: Rethinking a taboo concept 99
- 6. Taboo subjects as insult intensifiers in Egyptian Arabic 117
- 7. Emotion concepts in context: Figurative conceptualizations of hayâ ‘self-restraint’ in Persian 141
- 8. A Cognitive Linguistics approach to menstruation as a taboo in Gĩkũyũ 161
- 9. The socio-cognitive aspects of taboo in two cultures: A case study on Polish and British English 179
- 10. The influence of conceptual differences on processing taboo metaphors in the foreign language 201
-
Part III: Cognitive Sociolinguistics
- 11. Why do the Dutch swear with diseases? 225
- 12. Calling things by their name: Exploring the social meanings in the preference for sexual (in)direct construals 245
- 13. The perception of the expression of taboos: a sociolinguistic study 269
-
Part IV: Interdisciplinary Approaches
- 14. Scrupulosity, sexual ruminations and cleaning in Obsessive – Compulsive Disorder 293
- 15. Swearing as emotion acts 311
- Index 329
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Foreword V
- Table of contents IX
- List of contributing Authors XI
- Introduction 1
- 1. Lexicon, discourse and cognition: terminological delimitations in the conceptualizations of linguistic taboo 13
-
Part I: Construal
- 2. The axiological and communicative potential of homosexual-related metaphors 35
- 3. Metonymy-based euphemisms in war-related speeches by George W. Bush and Barack Obama 55
- 4. Ambiguity and vagueness as cognitive tools for euphemistic and politically correct speech 79
-
Part II: Cultural Conceptualization
- 5. Old age revolution in Australian English: Rethinking a taboo concept 99
- 6. Taboo subjects as insult intensifiers in Egyptian Arabic 117
- 7. Emotion concepts in context: Figurative conceptualizations of hayâ ‘self-restraint’ in Persian 141
- 8. A Cognitive Linguistics approach to menstruation as a taboo in Gĩkũyũ 161
- 9. The socio-cognitive aspects of taboo in two cultures: A case study on Polish and British English 179
- 10. The influence of conceptual differences on processing taboo metaphors in the foreign language 201
-
Part III: Cognitive Sociolinguistics
- 11. Why do the Dutch swear with diseases? 225
- 12. Calling things by their name: Exploring the social meanings in the preference for sexual (in)direct construals 245
- 13. The perception of the expression of taboos: a sociolinguistic study 269
-
Part IV: Interdisciplinary Approaches
- 14. Scrupulosity, sexual ruminations and cleaning in Obsessive – Compulsive Disorder 293
- 15. Swearing as emotion acts 311
- Index 329
