Sex-Related Invectives in the Arabic Language

Abstract

The article is focused on words and expressions of the Arabic language, semantically related to the sexual sphere, in the context of their use as a means of verbal aggression. The author examines the prerequisites for acquiring invectiveness by copulatory vocabulary in both the Christian and Islamic worldviews, relying on the works of K. Allen and K. Burridge, J. Feinberg, G. Hughes, devoted to swear words in English-speaking culture, as well as the works of V.I. Zelvis on the means of verbal aggression in Russian language. In addition, this paper pays special attention to Arabic references, including the Quran, the writings of religious figures Abu Daoud, Ibn Qudama, Sayyid Hasan and the linguists Al-Razi and Al-Manshawi, particularly, their view on the problems of tabooing and invectivization of the sphere of sexual relations is analyzed.Discovery of the origins of the ban on mentioning of the copulatory topic in Arab society made it possible to determine the range of invective means related to this topic, which the author divides into three groups: sexual intercourse and its various forms, genitals and other private body parts, deviations in the sexual sphere. An important feature of the approach used in this article is that lexical units are considered primarily as means of delivering invective meaning to the addressee, associated with concepts that directly encapsulate that meaning. Implementing this approach, the author identifies the main invective concepts presented in the Arabic linguistic culture, and also makes out a list of lexemes associated with each concept. In order to study this vocabulary in detail and determine its role in the modern Arabic language, the author analyzes its etymology and functioning in invective speech constructions that actually exist in various Arabic idioms.