Names of Genitals: Nominative Features and Their Functioning in Pornography Narrative

Abstract

The paper deals with the classification of ways of designation genitals in Russian. The theoretical basis is represented by researches on meaning euphemization, the theory of conceptual metaphor and existing classifications of genital vocabulary. The aim of this study is search for classification grounds needed for the systematization of the studied group of words and the description of the lexical ways of designating the genitals in Russian. The material for the study was 120 fragments of pornographic texts containing an explicit description of the consensual and nonconsensual sexual interaction. Based on the lexical-semantic analysis, four ways of nominating the genitals were identified: orthophemistic, euphemistic, dysphemistic and metaphorical ways. Anatomical terms and lexemes of the bookish and colloquial styles were attributed to the orthophemistic way of nomination. The euphemistic way of nominating the genitals included lexemes and lexical combinations which semantically accentuate the sacred status of the genitals or contain reference to their structure, location, physiological features. Euphemization of the studied somatisms was also carried out through the mention of a piece of clothing that covers the genitals or of internal organs of the reproductive system (for female genitals). Lexical constructions in which the genitals were associated with their owner were also attributed to the euphemistic method. The dysphemistic method included lexemes and lexical combinations containing in their semantics indications of the inconsistency of the genitals with the bodily canon, diminutive and augmentative terms, and obscene lexical items. Fourteen metaphorical groups of nominations for male genitalia and fifteen groups of nominations for female genitalia were identified. Four feature concepts that are involved in the formation of the figurative representation of the genitals were found: (1) external similarity, (2) functional characteristics, (3) role in sexual interaction and sexual practices, (4) sociocultural representation.