This study discusses the use of swear words in a novel entitled ‘Wedding Night’. Its first aim is to see the types of swear words used in ‘Wedding Night’ novel. The second aim is to find out the semantic categories of swear words in ‘Wedding Night’ novel. The third aim is to find out the reasons that influence the characters to swear and the fourth aim to see whether there are any differences in the use of swear words by female and male main characters.
The result of the study revealed that there are three types of swear words found in this novel: cursing, epithet and profanity. In relation to semantic categories, the study found five semantic categories: ancestral allusion, animal names, profane, scatological and sexual references. The characters employed swear words because they wanted to exaggerate their statements, insult others and express their emotions. The result of this study also displayed that female main characters employed more colorful swear words compared to male main characters. Female main characters used 15 instances of swear words and male main characters used 9 instances of swear words. Besides that, this study also found that female and male main characters have their own choices of swear words. There were some swear words that were only used by female or male main characters and some swear words that were overused by either male or female main characters. Female main characters used swear words asshole, bastard, bitch, bloody, crap, damn, fuck, God, Gosh, goodness, hell, Jesus, Oh my God, screw, and shit and male main characters used arse, bastard, bloody, crap, fuck, God, hell, Jesus, and shit. In relation to the overuse of swear words, the female characters overused bastard, bloody, and God and male characters overused fuck and Jesus. |