Swearing as a refusal marker in Algeria : variant dialectal use or one cultural reality

Abstract EN

The present paper focuses on the study of the refusal speech act in Algeria, considering different dialects spoken in different regions and provinces.

The study was conducted through the use of a discourse completion task, and it was distributed via google forms.

Answers of 220 respondents speaking different dialects were analysed qualitatively.

Results have shown that Algerians, whatever the region they belong to or the dialect they speak, analogously use swearing as an adjunct to the refusal speech act.

Their use of swearing, however, is affected by the type or refusal be it a refusal to invitations, requests, offers or suggestions, and the power status between interlocutors.