Types of Pragmatic Polysemy in Swear Words in Google Play Reviews: A Digital Corpus-Based Study
Keywords:
pragmatic polysemy; swearing; digital language; digital corpus; Google Play reviews; pragmaticsAbstract
The rapid development of digital communication has transformed language use, including the use of taboo expressions such as swear words. In digital environments, swearing functions not only as insult or verbal aggression but also serves diverse pragmatic purposes depending on communicative context. This study aims to identify types of pragmatic polysemy of swear words in Google Play user reviews using a digital corpus-based approach. A descriptive qualitative design employing corpus analysis was adopted. The data comprised user reviews posted on the Google Play platform that contained swear words while evaluating applications and reporting experiences with digital services. Data were collected through documentation and analyzed based on forms of swearing, contexts of occurrence, pragmatic functions, and context-dependent interpretations in digital interactions. The analysis drew on Andersson and Trudgill’s theory of swearing functions, Pinker’s classification of swearing, and a pragmatic perspective emphasizing context as the primary determinant of meaning. The findings reveal five types of pragmatic polysemy in digital swearing: (1) emotional catharsis, (2) negative evaluation of digital systems or objects, (3) interpersonal attack, (4) emphatic intensification of meaning, and (5) humor, irony, and digital solidarity. The results further show that a single swear word may produce different pragmatic interpretations depending on communicative context, the target of the utterance, and the speaker’s communicative intention. Therefore, swearing in digital communication should not be viewed solely as offensive language but as a complex linguistic phenomenon reflecting emotional expression, identity negotiation, and communicative strategies within virtual communities in digital environments
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