Eng Ling

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words and phrases that are generally considered inappropriate in certain

contexts. Culturally, socially unacceptable language can be like using the name

of God in vain, calling people by the names of private body parts, referring to

body parts in a crude fashion and talking vulgar language

http://www1.open.edu.cn/elt/!/".htm

#Gomm $1%&1' has done an experiment in which Gomm records ten single#gender

conversations with (ve among men and (ve among women, and four cross#

gender conversations. )ccording to the results of the experiment, the author

works out a diagram. *his (gure shows clearly the general di+erence of swearing

words spoken by men and women. *he columns with strips stands for mens

fre-uency of using swearing words, and mens columns in each group is higher

than that of women, which indicates that men use far more swearing words than

women do.

Compare the columns within each group, it is clear that men speak far more

swearing expressions than women both by the total number and in single#gender

talks. )s to the cross#gender talks, both men and women speak less swearing

words than they do in single#gender groups. n a word, men swear more

fre-uently than women do. hy so0

   *radition, customs and social role expectation re-uire women to be gentle

and polite, and to show their femininity. esperson $1%:23' said, 4*here are

great di+erences with regard to swearing between di+erent nations5 but think

that in those countries and in those circles in which swearing is common, it is

found much more extensively among men than among women5 this at any rate is

true of 6enmark.7 Combine Gommes experiment with espersons argument, we

could come to the conclusion that swearing words are more favored by men both

traditionally and culturally than by women.

http://people.howstu+works.com/swearing2.htm mo8ak i psovan9e

 *he cerebral cortex has premotor and motor areas that control speech and

writing. ernickes area processes and recogni8es spoken words. *he prefrontal

cortex controls personality and appropriate social behavior. ;<=) >?@)

n most people, the left hemisphere is in charge of language. *he righthemisphere creates the emotional content of language.language processing isa AhigherA brain function and takes place in the cerebral cortex. Bmotion andinstinct are AlowerA brain functions and take place deep inside the brain.>wearing speci(cally involves: 6<G) >?@). *he limbic system, which alsohouses memory, emotion and basic behavior. *he limbic system also seems togovern vocali8ations in primates and other animals, and some researchershave interpreted some primate vocali8ations as swearing. *he basal ganglia,which play a large role in impulse control and motor functions.you can think of 

swearing as a motor activity with an emotional component.

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