profanity is a literary deviceliterary device
a literary device is a technology inside language or literature that accomplishes some effect.
. steven pinkersteven pinker
steven pinker is a scientist at harvard who works on language. he also thinks of himself as part of the enlightenment tradition.
talks about 5 reasons it's used
- Dysphemistic swearing: I want you to think about how awful this is. I want to express offense. The opposite is euphemismeuphemism
euphemism is a literary device.
, to cover up the unpleasantness of thinking about this. - Abusive swearing: intimidate or humiliate someone with other poetic devices.
- Idiomatic swearing
- Emphatic swearing
- Cathartic swearing. Response-cry theory: communicate to others strong emotional feeling.