Abstract
Crimes are committed by uttering words or expressions, writing or signifying in a public way like insulting which is one of the crimes against public welfare. This crime has been dealt with and compared legally but its linguistic aspect has not been given much attention. This study tries to emphasize this crime pragmatically and contrastively in English and Arabic. No study has shed light on such aspects concerning the study under investigation. The researcher has not found any previous related study to get a benefit from about this topic. The aim of this study is to shed light on the points of similarity and difference in strategies of insulting in terms of speech act, implicature and impoliteness theories between English and Arabic. The present study hypothesizes the following: In terms of the three theories mentioned above, English and Arabic have points of similarities in strategies of insulting. To support or refute the hypothesis of the study, data consisting of 20 complaints in English and Arabic were collected from Courts of Appeal in Iraq, Britain and the United States. They are analyzed in terms of an eclectic model. The results arrived at are: English and Arabic are different in insulting in terms of the locutionary acts and illocutionary acts. Concerning impoliteness, the same strategies are applied to insulting in both languages. As far as implicature is concerned, the two languages are different in insulting.
Highlights
Insulting is a remark or an action that is said or done in order to offend somebody (Hornby, 2005, p. 675)
There are a number of conclusions which are arrived at through this study. These conclusions are illustrated by the following general conclusions, similarities and differences in insulting between English and Arabic: 6.1 General Conclusions
1) By using threatening, insulting or abusive words or expressions publically or non-publically, a person is guilty of an offence according to the Iraqi penal code while in the criminal code for England, by using threatening, insulting or abusive words or expressions publically, a person is guilty of an offence but if those words are heard by a person or persons inside a dwelling, otherwise the person is not guilty
Summary
Insulting is a remark or an action that is said or done in order to offend somebody (Hornby, 2005, p. 675). It is considered one of the offences which negatively affect the person’s freedom (A’tiya, 2010)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
