British experts: swearing is becoming more acceptable
Obscene language is becoming more acceptable in society, British linguistic experts say. Swear words are increasingly being used to emphasize attention and create social connections rather than as insults, foreign scientists say.
For the last two decades, obscene language has become more acceptable because it is increasingly being used for purposes other than insulting people, linguistic experts say.
According to The Guardian, according to academic researchers, the two most commonly used swear words in the UK (one referring to copulation and the other referring to faeces) are often used to make a point in a conversation or strengthen social bonds, rather than with the specific intention of causing harm. an insult to someone.
The experts made the comments after BBC presenter Mishal Hussain swore seven times in less than a minute during an interview with Home Secretary James Cleverley.
The broadcaster interviewed him on Radio's Today program 4 on Tuesday about what he was recently accused of, including whether he called a person or place a «shithole.»
Dr Robbie Love, lecturer in English at Aston University in Birmingham, said: “Swearing, like any other use of language, is entirely dependent on context. It's what you do with a word and its various functions, how they perform, that determines the perception of how acceptable it is.”
Dr. Love says research has shown that people tend to use swear words in casual conversation to express surprise, joke, show solidarity with your peers, or insult someone.
But Mishal Hussain, he said, did none of these things. “Rather, she refers to a word that Cleverly [allegedly] used and asks if he said it. In that context, I'd say it's more likely to be considered acceptable than if she suddenly said at the end of the story, «Well, that was a bunch of crap, wasn't it?»
“Choice to say «This may be part of a strategy to scare James Cleverly, rather than a euphemistic replacement of the term to force him to recognize the reality of the word. But I'm not sure anyone would be genuinely offended by hearing the word in that context,» notes expert.
Author of a study on trends in the use of swear words in informal conversation between the 1990s and 2010s and the use of the most famous English swear word among British teenagers, Dr Love points out that most swear words become less taboo because of how people use them .
For example, the most famous swear word in the English language is increasingly being used in general phrases such as “oh my gosh” or “what the hell?”, which has reduced its offensive impact, the expert added.< /p>
“If you break it down and think about it, if I say 'who the hell did that?', as opposed to 'who did it?', what does 'the hell do it' actually mean? It just highlights the general mood,” the linguist said.
The scientist added that the swear word is now used much more often than it was several decades ago: “This is good evidence that the specific meaning of this word is disappearing because when people use it, they use it in such general terms.”
Dr. Love explains that swear words serve other functions in casual conversation, such as forming social bonds between friends or work colleagues, where their use signals a degree of solidarity or social closeness with the group.
Yehuda Baruch, professor of management at the University of Southampton Business School, says his research with professionals such as lawyers, doctors and executives found that swearing is used to build team cohesion, relieve stress and make a point.
Baruch said expletives were also used in a calculated attempt to get attention, such as when he said billionaire Elon Musk used a less-than-censored word in an interview with the New York Times DealBook summit.
He added: “I'm sure Mishal did this because she wanted to make a point so that everyone would listen. Forty years ago she would never have done this. But, unfortunately, it is effective. This is a new language, and we have to live with it.”
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