Switching codes in Algerian Manga : i swear and i am ironic-sarcastic in Arabic not in French

Abstract EN

Comics have become the center of tremendous studies with scholars focusing on different aspects of this medium by combining different approaches ranging from constructivism, structuralism, to cognitive and applied linguistics.

This study aims foremost at exploring irony/sarcasm and swearing under Code Switching in “Houma Fighter” trilogy, an Algerian manga by Said Sabaou.

Our investigation lays primary in discovering the reasons why, characters of this manga and namely “the black cat” swears and is ironic and sometimes sarcastic in Arabic in a manga all written in French.

A comparative study was also done to show whether characters of this manga are society's archetypes.

For this a questionnaire was submitted to 116 persons, males and females of different ages and of different social backgrounds.

The primary idea is to know if the informants and the fictional characters use Code Switching the same way and whether switching to Arabic for swearing and for being ironic is purposive.

Attempts to find answers to those questions were done using Myers-Scotton Markedness Model and supported by (im)politeness theories and views where it had been noticed that these speech acts are used to create stylistic effects.

The author makes use of Code Switching by displaying swear words through the black cat character.

By doing so, he confirms that choosing one variety over another is purposive and done as claimed by Myers-Scotton for optimization, getting the best outcomes and being echoic