Role of dysphemisms in the English-language film space

Abstract

The topicality of undertaken research is determined by the constantly changing social norms in modern society, which are reflected in the cinematographic world. Cinematography provides a golden opportunity to consider and analyze a range of unique linguistic phenomena. The major purpose of the present paper is to study the phenomenon of dysphemisation in the English-speaking film space based on the set of the following films in English: Green Book by the American film director, Peter J. Farrelly, the screen adaptation of the autobiography 12 Years a Slave by Terrence S. McQueen, the well-known film The Help by Tate Taylor and the biographical drama Hidden Figures by Theodore Melfi. In the films the main storyline is generally based on the aspect of discrimination against persons of certain racial backgrounds and women, based on the policy of the United States of America during the infamous period of slavery (XVII–XIX centuries) and the historical era of segregation (XIX–XX centuries). During the study theoretical methods (analysis and synthesis) and empirical methods (observation and description) were used. As a result of the conducted study, the classification of dysphemistic lexical units was determined in terms of author’s intentions (dysphemisms with an emphasis on a different skin color; dysphemisms-comparisons with animals, plants and inanimate objects; dysphemisms-designations of social status; dysphemisms expressing gender discrimination), as well as their role and reason for use in the selected set of films – demonstration of a biased, cruel attitude towards recipients and also a reflection of the socio-cultural environment that encompassed US society during the historical time period under study.