FORCE-DYNAMIC REPRESENTATION OF LINGUISTIC INSULTS: A SIMPLE ANALYSIS
FORCE-DYNAMIC REPRESENTATION OF LINGUISTIC INSULTS: A SIMPLE ANALYSIS

Summary/Abstract: Verbal aggression and insults constitute an increasingly important topic of contemporarylinguistic analysis. The aim of this article is to present a simple analysis of linguisticinsults in the framework of the force dynamics theory as presented by Talmy [1988].The force-dynamic theory describes different relations of physical, psychological, social,intertextual causation by means of interaction between two entities of force (Agonistand Antagonist). Selected categories of insults are analyzed by means of force-dynamicmodels. These categories include successful insults, unsuccessful insults, redirected insults,intensifying insults, and insults chains. I intend to demonstrate that the theory of forcedynamics is a viable candidate for providing a convincing framework for the analysisof linguistic insults. The article concludes with some suggestions concerning the futureresearch into the field of verbal aggression in connection with the theory of force dynamics.

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