THE VULGAR USE OF LANGUAGE IN GRAFFITI ON THE WALLS OF PRISTINA
THE VULGAR USE OF LANGUAGE IN GRAFFITI ON THE WALLS OF PRISTINA

Summary/Abstract: This study examines the harsh and vulgar language found in public graffiti in the capital of Kosovo, focusing on the linguistic analysis of slogans encountered on the walls of Pristina such as “Death to the oligarchs,” “Men kill women, the state remains silent,” “Fuck police,” “Porno,” “Adios mother fucker,” “Kill hip hop.” Employing a sociolinguistic and critical discourse perspective, we analyze the lexicon in use, the syntactic structures, and the semantic connotations of these phrases, as well as their stylistic and pragmatic functions within contexts of protest, rebellion, and identity expression. We discuss how Pristina’s graffiti shape public discourse and the local sociolinguistic milieu. The study also incorporates references to scholarly literature on vulgar language and urban art, alongside observations concerning Kosovo’s legislation on graffiti and offensive language in public spaces. Our findings indicate that the use of vulgar language in graffiti is closely tied to expressions of social and political discontent; their content is inherently protestoriented, critical, or identity-driven, while the presence of profanities underscores a desire to shock the public and challenge the sanctioned norms of official discourse. Nevertheless, graffiti remain illegal in Kosovo and are frequently treated as property damage—evidenced by reports that “graffiti continue to be outlawed, and the police still arrest”. This phenomenon highlights the tensions between urban art as a form of free expression and the legal constraints imposed on public spaces.

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