The Linguistic Study of Swearing in Selected American Movies

Abstract

This paper deals with the subject of swearing in American movies through stylistic and linguistic analysis models in two movies: one from the action genre and the other one from the romance genre. The paper studies key questions in relation to whether the genre, theme, and tenor of a movie have the influence of the frequency, types, and functions of English swearing expressions. In addition to that, the study examines the impact of gender type on the use of swearing within the texts used in these movies. This was based on the hypothesis that differences in swearing frequency, types, and functions arise due to both the genre of the movies and the gender of the characters in the movies. To address these questions, the researcher has developed a theoretical framework for swearing in English language. Two movies were selected with an adopted model, and the statistical tools were used to calculate the frequency and percentage of swearing expressions in the analyzed texts. The findings of the study reveal that the frequency, types, and functions of English swearing are significantly influenced by the movie's genre and tenor, as well as by the gender of the characters. These results form the basis for a set of conclusions drawn at the end of the study for further studies.