Keywords
pragmatics
discourse
evaluation
power
identity.
How to Cite
Abstract
This study explores the pragmatic dimensions and social functions of dysphemisms within literary discourse. Dysphemisms are examined as context-dependent linguistic strategies that convey negative evaluation, emotional intensity, and social positioning. Using a qualitative discourse-analytical approach, the research analyzes selected excerpts from Pygmalion. The findings demonstrate that dysphemisms function not only as expressive devices but also as mechanisms for constructing power relations, reinforcing social hierarchies, and shaping identity. The study contributes to the growing body of research in pragmatics and sociolinguistics by highlighting the role of negatively marked language in discourse dynamics.References
1.Austin, J. L. (1962). How to Do Things with Words. Oxford University Press. 2.Grice, H. P. (1975). Logic and conversation. In P. Cole & J. L. Morgan (Eds.), Syntax and Semantics, Vol. 3: Speech Acts (pp. 41–58). Academic Press. 3.Levinson, S. C. (1983). Pragmatics. Cambridge University Press. 4.Yule, G. (1996). Pragmatics. Oxford University Press. 5.Gee, J. P. (2014). An Introduction to Discourse Analysis: Theory and Method (4th ed.). Routledge. 6.Brown, P., & Levinson, S. (1987). Politeness: Some Universals in Language Usage. Cambridge University Press. 7.Culpeper, J. (1996). Towards an anatomy of impoliteness. Journal of Pragmatics, 25(3), 349–367. https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-2166(95)00014-3 8.Culpeper, J. (2011). Impoliteness: Using Language to Cause Offence. Cambridge University Press. 9.Allan, K., & Burridge, K. (2006). Forbidden Words: Taboo and the Censoring of Language. Cambridge University Press. 10.Linfoot-Ham, K. (2005). The linguistics of euphemism: A diachronic study of euphemism formation. Journal of Language and Linguistics, 4(2), 227–263. 11.Fairclough, N. (1989). Language and Power. Longman. 12.Wodak, R., & Meyer, M. (Eds.). (2015). Methods of Critical Discourse Analysis (3rd ed.). Sage Publications. 13.Bourdieu, P. (1991). Language and Symbolic Power. Harvard University Press. 14.Eckert, P., & McConnell-Ginet, S. (2013). Language and Gender (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.