The Meaning of Swear Words

12 someone is damned in a legal or social sense, then they are to be punished in some way.

2.2.1.9. Hell

Hell describes any place that is terrible and it is used for emphasis.

2.2.1.10. Jesus Christ

It is considered rude when expressing annoyance, surprise, anger, or frustration because it may insult Christians.

2.2.1.11. Screw

It is for sexual intercourse, but it is also used to mean that something is ruined.

2.2.1.12. Ass, Asshole

The above word refers to the buttocks or bottoms, which mean someone who is stupid or foolish. After we see kinds of swear words, it is useful for us to know the meaning of swear words. The explanation can be seen below.

2.2.2 The Meaning of Swear Words

In studying meaning of swear words, there are different meanings in one word since the use of it is different. One cannot give a certain meaning of a swear word. The word fuck, for example, ‘He will fuck her tonight’ has a literal meaning as having sex with somebody. However, not all fucks which appear in an utterance always have the same meaning. The meaning of this swear word depends on the usage in social context. 13 Talking about meaning, there are terms that are called referential and emotive meanings. Halliday in Beaugrande 1991:251 states that ‘referential is a relationship between things of fact, usually elements that have a function within the clause processes, participants, circumstances’. Moreover, Lyons 1981:424 defines referential meaning as ‘relationship which holds between words and the things, events, action and qualities they ‘stand for’. Apart from this, Lyons 1981:424 describes ‘emotive or connotative meaning as the additional meaning that a word or phrase has beyond its central meaning. Furthermore, Lyons 1981: 424 explains that ‘these meanings show people’s emotion and attitude toward what the word or phrase refers to’. Meanwhile, Jay in www.gusworld.com.au sees the emotive use as ‘having primacy over referential use, in contradiction to many others’. To make the explanation clear, here is the example of the distinction between emotive and referential meanings. The sentence of Fuck Lyndon Johnson has a referential meaning as having sex with Lyndon Johnson and the emotive meaning is quite different; it means I don’t care about Lyndon Johnson. It is obvious that a referential meaning shows the lexicographic meaning as it is reflected by the real meaning of a word, whereas an emotive meaning represents connotative meaning. Both meanings can be distinguished through the social contexts; how the situation, the tone and the attitudes of the participants toward the speech event are. In addition, instead of indicating the speaker’s negative emotions, swear words can be used in a positive context. These words usually emphasize an 14 utterance of amazement. For example, ‘She is fucking beautiful’ or ’It is fucking funny’. After knowing the meaning of swear words, it would be better if we know the function of swear words.

2.2.3 The Function of Swear Words