To sin in thought, to sin in word… The use of vulgarisms in contemporary Czech literary texts

Darina Hradilová

Filozofická fakulta, Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4437-7355

Abstract

Since the 1960s a progressive relaxation of social standards, accompanied by lowering of language standards, have been pointed out to occur in public space. Periodically, a rising vulgarity of language and society and a higher degree of tolerance to former taboos are described. The paper will attempt to show changes in the understanding of vulgar language and to analyse the inventory of vulgarisms used in contemporary Czech literary texts and their functions there. It will be based on texts Umělohmotný třípokoj by Petra Hůlová (2006), Teteliště zmrdů a Semeniště zmrdů (2012) by M. Kozelka and Eskejp: na útěku z kanceláře by J. Charvát (2017).

Keywords:

vulgarism, rude words, taboo, violation of taboo, tolerance