Even Insulting is a Way of Talking to Each Other Cover Image

Auch das Beschimpfen ist eine Art, miteinander zu reden
Even Insulting is a Way of Talking to Each Other

Author(s): Witold Sadziński
Subject(s): Applied Linguistics, Sociolinguistics
Published by: Oficyna Wydawnicza ATUT – Wrocławskie Wydawnictwo Oświatowe
Keywords: emotions; swearwords; hate speech; sociolinguistics; pragmalinguistics

Summary/Abstract: Emotions are an indispensable part of human life, and consequently of speech. On the other hand, they are put under pressure by the culture – not least by the good nursery – so that, politely, one does not always express directly what is important to one‘s heart. Goethe summed it up in Faust II as follows: “In German you lie when you are polite” (see also Szczęk 2012). Sometimes, however, one is forced to let the emotion run wild. This is exemplified in the article on Günter Grass’ Hundejahre and Peter Handke’s Publikumsbe¬schimpfung. On the other hand, the article focuses on an important aspect of the subconscious emotive, namely verbal aggression as a substitute for assault. The author joins Meinunger (2017: 11 f.), where he says: “Ranting is much better than his reputation. […] It is essentially a substitute for physical violence. […] must be seen as a victory of culture over nature.” At the same time he is contradicted when he also summarizes hate speech under ranting.

  • Issue Year: 16/2019
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 161-176
  • Page Count: 16
  • Language: German