Linguists have noted the growing role of obscene language in the social sphere

Swearing has become more acceptable over the past two decades because it is increasingly used for purposes other than insulting people, linguistics experts say.

According to The Guardian, according to academic researchers, the two most commonly used swear words in the UK (one referring to copulation and the other referring to faeces) are often used to emphasize the point of a conversation or strengthen social bonds, rather than with the specific intention of causing harm. an insult to someone.

The experts made the comments after BBC presenter Mishal Hussain swore seven times in less than a minute during an interview with Home Secretary James Cleverley.

The broadcaster quizzed him on Radio 4’s Today program on Tuesday about what he was recently accused of, including whether he called a person or place a “shithole”.

Dr Robbie Love, lecturer in English at Aston University in Birmingham, said: “Swearing, like any other use of language, is entirely dependent on context. It is what you do with the word and the various functions, how they are performed, that determines the perception of how acceptable it is.”

Dr Love says research has shown that people commonly use swear words in casual conversation to express surprise, make a joke, show solidarity with their peers or to insult someone.

But Mishal Hussain, he said, did none of these things. “Rather, she refers to a word that [предположительно] used Cleverly, and asked if he said that. In that context, I’d say it’s more likely to be considered acceptable than if she suddenly said at the end of the story, “Well, that was a load of crap, wasn’t it?”

“The choice to say this may be part of a strategy to scare James Cleverly, rather than a euphemistic replacement for the term to force him to acknowledge the reality of the word. But I’m not sure that anyone would be sincerely offended if they heard this word in such a context,” the expert notes.

Author of a study on trends in the use of swear words in informal conversation between the 1990s and 2010s and the use of the most famous English swear word among British teenagers, Dr Love points out that most swear words become less taboo because of how people use them .

For example, the most famous swear word in the English language is increasingly being used in general phrases such as “oh my gosh” or “what the hell?”, which has reduced its offensive impact, the specialist added.

“If you break it down and think about it, if I say ‘who the hell did that?’, as opposed to ‘who did it?’, what does ‘the hell do it’ actually mean? It just highlights the general mood,” said the linguist.

The scientist added that the swear word is used much more now than it was several decades ago: “This is good evidence that the specific meaning of this word is disappearing, because when people use it, they use it in such general terms.”

Dr. Love explains that swear words serve other functions in casual conversation, such as forming social bonds between friends or work colleagues, where their use signals a degree of solidarity or social closeness with the group.

Yehuda Baruch, professor of management at the University of Southampton Business School, says his research with professionals such as lawyers, doctors and executives found that swearing is used to build team cohesion, relieve stress and make a point.

Baruch said expletives were also used in a calculated attempt to get attention, such as when billionaire Elon Musk used a not-quite-censored word in an interview at the New York Times DealBook summit.

He added: “I’m sure Mishal did it because she wanted to make a point so everyone would listen. Forty years ago she would never have done this. But, unfortunately, it is effective. It’s a new language and we have to live with it.”