Investigating taboo words in English Language

Abstract EN

Taboo words are "unthinkable" actions.

Even the thought of violating taboo striggers a punishment.

It is considered a simple model in which taboos are part of the definition of one’s identity.

Pondering over breaking the taboos changes the individual’s choice set and provides information on possible private benefits but is costly because it contradicts one’s identity.

In every society, there are believed to be inappropriate words if spoken on public occasions.

Many words are therefore taken as silly, vulgar, or obscene when used in communication.

These words are "taboos".

So, the aim of this paper is to identify and define the concept of taboo words, to investigate all the major varieties of English taboos, i.e., bodily excretions, death and disease, sex, four-letter words, privacy, and discriminatory language, and to show and explain the concepts of discriminatory words.

Euphemistic and roundabout ways of avoiding using taboo words are offered to deal with such situations.

Some of the results show that: some words are hardly ever used because they are too emotional or offensive, a linguistic universal is that no social group uses language quite at random, and English and Americans believe that avoiding linguistic taboo is the symbol of their civilization.