THE EXPRESSION OF INSULT IN SPEECH ACTS

Abstract

This article describes the concept in modern linguistics, highlighting its close connection to thinking and the reflection of culture within language. It states that speech must be analyzed through interaction and discourse, building upon Austin’s Speech Act Theory which distinguishes between the locutionary, the illocutionary, and the perlocutionary. The primary focus is the illocutionary linguocultural concept of “insult” defined as a negative speech act intended to degrade an addressee’s social status through verbal aggression. The study proposes a discourse realization model for insult, categorizing instances into three types – invective, stratagem, and perversive – based on the moral justification and public evaluation of the addresser and addressee.

Keywords

concept, insult, illocutionary, invective, stratagem, perversive, interaction, discourse, offence, abuse.