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142        Chukwu & Alozie-Onumadu 

PROFANITY IN NAWAL EL SAADAWI’S WOMAN AT POINT ZERO 

 

Prof Ephriam Chukwu 

Department of English Language and Literature 

Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Akwa 

ea.chukwu@unizik.edu.ng 

& 

Chinyere Alozie-Onumadu 

Girls’ Secondary School, Ikenegbu, Owerri, Imo State 

 chinyere.alozieonumadu@gmail.com 

 

Abstract  

This study examined the negative effects of profane words on the individuals. Swearing is 

prevalent in our society and men are said to be bigger swearers than women. Although swearing 

is not gender-specific, it is believed to be reserved for men because women are expected to 

speak ‘properly’. (Knyazyan, 2015). One of the purposes of the study is to investigate the 

effects of swear words on the individuals. The work achieved this by investigating through 

qualitative descriptive method the literary workof  Nawal el Saadawi’sWoman at Point Zero, 

to reveal the negative effect of profane words on the individuals. A total number of five (5) 

utterances were purposively selected from the texts. Impoliteness theory propounded by 

Jonathan Culpeper in 1996 formed the theoretical framework. This theory helps in analysizing 

the selected utterances from El Saadawi’sWoman at Point Zero. An attempt was made to see 

the extent profane words affect individuals. The researcher found out that most people swear 

to ridicule a person, to attack the face, the damage the face, to accuse, to express one’s feelings 

and so on. The study recommends that other researchers should broaden the study using other 

approaches (i.e pragmatic and stylistic approaches) other than sociolinguistic approach. 

Keywords: Sexism, Profanity, Profane words, Swearing, Impoliteness theory 

 

Introduction  

Communication plays an important role in human life. Without communication, people in the 

society will not be able to understand each other since they do not have any social contact. 

Social contact is very essential for human beings because it is a foundation through which 

connection is built among people in the society. Therefore, to make a social contact function 

properly, people need to have language as a means of communication. As a means of 

communication, language has several functions.Some people use words that are considered 

profane to express themselves especially when angry. Some of these profane words are taboo, 

euphemism and dysphemism. They are used to swear, insult or mock a person.Many words and 

expressions are viewed as taboo and dysphemism. Such words are those used to described 

death, sex, our bodies and their functions; and words used to insult other people.  

 

This paper also shows how we use language playfully and figuratively in order to swear and to 

insult. This can be seen as euphemism. Euphemism is an important part of everyday speech. 

Many linguists, sociologists and anthropologists have noted the crucial role that euphemism 

plays in different aspects of real-world communication. Euphemism, therefore, can be 

examined through different discourses: social, religious, linguistic, political and so on. It is also 

believed that euphemism is employed to exert an effective emotional power on a listener’s 

mind. Hence, euphemism is an expression intended by the speaker to be less offensive or 

troubling to the listener than the word or phrase it replaces (Sadock, 43). 

 

 



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143        Chukwu & Alozie-Onumadu 

Statement of the Problem 

Language is very vital in the society. It can be used to redirect the consciousness of the society. 

There are quite a number of research works on profanity and sexism. Knyazyan (25) looked at 

Male and Female Profanity in English Anecdote. Amadi (121) looked at Sexism in English: A 

Lexical Study of Teachers’ Vocabulary Choices in Select Institutions of Higher Learning in 

South-East Nigeria. Also, Kremin (18) looked at Sexist Swearing and Slurs. However, very 

few researchers focused on the use of language as a potent tool used to oppress and suppress 

women and the implications of the use of profane words on the individual.  

This study filled the gap in scholarship and the researcher intends to fill it by exposing the 

negative effects profane words have on the individual. 

The following research questions are expected to guide this paper: 

a. To what extent is language used in expressing profane words in El Saadawai’sWoman 

at Point Zero? 

b. To what degree does the effect of the use of swear words and have on the individuals in 

E Saadawi’sWoman at Point Zero? 

 

The Concept of Profanity 

Profanity can sometimes be interpreted as antisocial, harmful and abusive if, for example, it is 

intended to harm or convey aggression and hostile emotions (Stone, McMillan and Hazelton, 

66). Mabry (214) says that profanity also refers to the use of obscene language including taboo 

and swear words, which in regular social settings are considered inappropriate and in some 

situations unacceptable. Mabry further says that profanity includes sexual references, 

blasphemy, objects eliciting disgust, ethnic-racial-gender slurs, vulgar terms or offensive slang. 

On the other hand, Jay and Janschewitz (5) advise that instead of thinking of swearing as 

uniformly harmful or morally wrong, more meaningful information about swearing can be 

obtained by asking what communication goals swearing achieves? They went further to say 

that swear words can achieve a number of outcomes as when used positively for joking or 

storytelling, stress management, fitting in with the crowd or as a substitute for physical 

aggression. 

 

Speech involving profane words has a stronger impact on people than regular speech and has 

been shown to be processed on a deeper level in people’s minds (Jay, Caldwell-Harris and 

King, 99). Jay and Janschewitz (6) noted that swearing is a natural part of language 

development and that male speech differs from female speech in terms of swearing. The 

reasons for using swear words depend on the person and the situation, yet profanity is 

commonly related to the expression of emotions such as anger, frustration or surprise (Jay and 

Janschewitz, 6). 

 

Types of Swearing 

Taboo 

The word ‘taboo’ has become universal and widely used nowadays. The term originates from 

the Tongan language which is spoken by the inhabitants of Polynesia in the Pacific archipelago. 

It was first defined and introduced in English in 1777 by Captain James Cook and it usually 

means ‘untouchable’ or ‘forbidden’. Many words and expressions are viewed as ‘taboo’ such 

as those used to describe sex, our bodies and their functions and those used to insult other 

people (Allan and Burridge, 30). 

 

Cook uses taboo (or tabu) to describe the behaviour of Polynesians towards things that were 

not to be done, entered, seen or touched. For instance, there are food taboos in most societies. 

These are mostly religion-based: the vegetarianism of Hindus, the proscription of meat on 



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144        Chukwu & Alozie-Onumadu 

Fridays during lent among Catholics, the proscription of pork in Islam, the constraints of food 

preparation in Judaism and so on. 

 

Various Definitions of Taboo 

Roth (39) asserts that taboos can be a repugnant and appalling action which includes the display 

of some bodily functions. Fershtman, Gneezy and Hoffman went further in their definition: 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hughes (343) admits that taboo transforms into some prohibitions and restrictions varying in 

all societies. Hughes tries to expand the definition into some aspects in which taboo is 

manifested. The manifestation could be in several relations of things, creatures, human 

experiences, condition, deeds and words. Hughes notes that taboo is linguistically rooted in 

‘word magic’ in which people believe that certain creatures or forces cannot or must not be 

named. In addition to this, Allan and Burridge (32) explain that taboo arises out of social 

constraint on the individual’s behaviour where it can cause harm, discomfort or injury. 

According to Allan (160), “that which is taboo is forbidden”. Taboo words are those considered 

offensive, shocking, or indecent when used in certain contexts. Allan and Burridge (30) define 

taboo as a proscription of behaviour for a specifiable community of one or more persons, at a 

specifiable time, in specifiable contexts. 

From the foregoing definitions and explanations of taboo, it can be understood that different 

contexts of place or time serve different manifestations of taboo. This is why several authors 

such as Allan and Burridge (32) claim that there is no absolute taboo. 

 

Euphemism 

Euphemism is as old as language itself. Tal (111), states that the old Greek people used 

euphemism to avoid talking about bloody mythological creatures by the holy and gracious 

ones. He also confirms that the Romans tend to omit rough expressions from their speeches by 

replacing them with expressions accepted by the society. 

Euphemism is an important part of everyday speech. Many linguists, sociologists and 

anthropologists have noted the crucial role that euphemism plays in different aspects of real-

world communication. Euphemism, therefore, can be examined through different discourses: 

social, religious, linguistic, political and so on. It is also believed that euphemism is used to 

have an effective emotional power on a listener’s mind. Hence, euphemism is an expression 

intended by the speaker to be less offensive or troubling to the listener than the word or phrase 

it replaces (Sadock, 43). 

 

Dysphemism 

Dysphemism is technically the opposite of euphemism. Whereas euphemisms seek to soften 

the impact of some horrific event or taboo subject by indirect language and calming metaphors, 

dysphemisms are starkly direct, metaphorical or gruesomely physical (Hughes, 344).Hughes 

claims that although dysphemism was first recorded in 1884, it has only recently been unlisted 

in many general dictionaries and reference books. 

Allan and Burridge (35) agree with Hughes that dysphemism is the opposite of euphemism 

and, by and large, it is tabooed. Allan and Burridge claim that speakers resort to dysphemism 

Taboos are sometimes referred to as doing the ‘unthinkable’. 

Even thinking about violating a taboo is problematic. The 

sanctions associated pertain not just to the behaviour that 

contradicts the taboo, but also merely thinking or considering 

such a behaviour. Under this interpretation, a taboo is aform of 

‘thought police’ that governs not just human behaviour, but 

also its thoughts (142) 
 



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145        Chukwu & Alozie-Onumadu 

to talk about people and things that frustrate and annoy them; that they disapprove of and wish 

to disparage, humiliate and degrade. Allan and Burridge go further to say dysphemistic 

expressions include curses, name calling and any sort of derogatory comment directed towards 

others in order to insult or wound them. 

 

Theoretical Framework 

The theoretical framework of this research was based on Impoliteness theory by Jonathan 

Culpeper in 1996. 

 

Impoliteness theory 

Jonathan Culpeper made good use of Brown and Levinson’s model of politeness to introduce 

his theory of impoliteness which is considered a “parasite of politeness”. Although 

impoliteness is based on Brown and Levinson’s politeness, Culpeper refutes Brown and 

Levinson’s view of politeness as “marginal” to everyday conversation. It asserts that 

understanding the notion of politeness is impossible without comprehending impoliteness 

phenomenon and, therefore the analytical framework of impoliteness needs to be improved and 

receive the due consideration (Mullany and Stockwell, 72). The Culpeper’s model has an 

advantage because it is built on real life data. 

The most well-known definition of impoliteness is mentioned by Culpeper cited in Bousfield  

andLocher (134) in which he described impoliteness “as the use of strategies designed to attack 

face and thereby cause social conflict and disharmony”. 

 

Super-strategies for Impoliteness 

Culpeper sets up five super strategies by which impoliteness can be created and received, these 

are: 

Bald on Record Impoliteness: According to Bousfield (71), this strategy is employed when 

there is much face at risk and when a speaker intends to damage the hearer’s face thus the 

impolite utterance will be performed directly and clearly.  

Positive Impoliteness: Bousfield and Locher (135) claim that this strategy is used to damage 

the hearer’s positive face want. Culpeper (252) cited in Mullany and Stockwell (72) adds a 

range of sub-strategies to positive impoliteness and these include: 

a. Ignoring and snubbing the other. 

b. Denying common ground with the hearer. 

c. Selecting a sensitive or undesirable topic to talk about. 

d. Using appropriate identity markers. 

e. Being disinterested and unsympathetic with the hearer. 

f. Looking for disagreements. 

g. Using obscure language and inserting secretive words without the discourse. 

h. Using taboo words. 

Negative Impoliteness: This strategy is designed to attack the hearer’s negative face want 

(Thielemann and Kosta, 238). Culpeper cited in Mullany and Stockwell (73) says that 

negative impoliteness involves the following sub-strategies: 

a. Scorn 

b. Frighten 

c. Ridicule 

d. And invade the hearer’s space literally or metaphorically. 

Sarcasm or Mock Impoliteness: According to Thielemann and Kosta (239), this strategy, 

the speakers performs the FTA using politeness strategies which are clearly insincere. In 

other words, sarcasm means the use of one or more sub-strategies which are superficially 

suitable and accepted but deeply, they have the opposite meaning (Bousfield, 72). 



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146        Chukwu & Alozie-Onumadu 

Withhold Politeness: Withhold Politeness happens when a speaker does not do politeness 

strategy that is wished by the hearer, or he speaker just keeps silent (Thielemann and Kosta, 

239). 

 

Functions of Impoliteness 

Culpeper (252) proposes three functions of impoliteness. They are: Affective impoliteness, 

coercive impoliteness and entertaining impoliteness. 

Affective Impoliteness: Affective impoliteness is one of the specific functions in impoliteness 

strategy. Here, the speaker exposes his anger towards the hearer and this consequently 

generates a negative emotional atmosphere between the speaker and the hearer (Huang, 150). 

Coercive Impoliteness: the function seeks a rearrangement of values between the speaker and 

the hearer. It is like that the speaker has his current benefits reinforced or protected. The 

benefits could be material (e.g speaker uses this function to force hearer to give him something) 

or symbolic (e.g an impolite insult to reduce hearer’s value and increase speaker’s own). 

Culpeper believes that this impoliteness type takes place, to a greater extent, in situations where 

the producer belongs to a higher and more powerful social level than the hearer’s level. 

Entertaining Impoliteness: Culpepper states that this function involves entertainment at a 

potential target of the impoliteness. The potential target is also called a potential victim. In this 

case, the victim is not often aware of the impoliteness that is done by another participant, but 

the participant who is entertained is aware of the target. 

 

Methodology 

The utterances drawn from the selected novels were subjected to qualitative descriptive 

analysis. The qualitative descriptive method was used to describe the utterances that were made 

by the characters in order to ascertain the effect profane words have on an individual and the 

reason people use swear words. The representation of the textual data were described based on 

the theoretical framework (Impoliteness theory), the study also answered the research 

questions. 

 

 

 

 

Data Presentation and Analysis 

Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi 

s/n Utterances Types of 

Profanity 

Output 

Strategies 

Super 

Strategies 

Types of 

Impoliteness 

1 They’re going to 

hang her in a few 

days time. What 

use are you, or 

anybody else to her. 

Leave her alone! (p. 

2) 

Dysphemism Seek 

disagreement 

Negative 

Impoliteness 

Affective 

Impoliteness 

2. For after all, I was 

only a successful 

prostitute. (p. 9) 

Euphemism Insincere Sarcasm/mock 

politeness 

Entertaining 

Impoliteness 

3. His mouth was like 

that of a camel with 

a big opening and 

wide jaws. (p.18) 

Dysphemism Ridicule Negative 

Impoliteness 

Affective 

Impoliteness 



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147        Chukwu & Alozie-Onumadu 

4. She is a good girl 

but the world is full 

of bastard. (p.37) 

Dysphemism Insincere Negative 

Impoliteness 

Coercive 

Impoliteness 

5. How dare you raise 

your voice when 

you’re speaking to 

me, you street 

walker, you low 

woman! (p.52) 

Dysphemism Attack Face Bald on record 

Impoliteness 

Affective 

Impoliteness 

 

Discussion of Findings 

The researcher analysized 5 utterances from the novel under the subheading: Types of 

profanity, output strategies, super strategies, types of impoliteness.The major type of profanity 

found from the analysis was dysphemism. The researcher successfully found out the reason 

people swear. Some of these reasons were to ridicule, attack face, being insincere and to seek 

to disagree.  

Based on the result of the data, the researcher tends to compare the present work with previous 

researchers. Putrianalysized dysphemism in series titled Teen Wolf Season 1. Putri used Allan 

and Burridge’s theory to find the types of dysphemism and the purposes of the use of 

dysphemism. 

Apart from the finding (i.e people mostly swear when they are angry) that is closely related to 

Putri’s findings, this present research used textual data that was purposively drawn from the 

novel for the analysis. Moreover, the object of this present work extends to more findings and 

it successfully analysized the types of profanity in the novel. 

 

Conclusion 

There are a lot of profane words that are not borne out of emotions. The swear words can be 

used to entertain the hearer. Though the present study has done reasonably well on the analysis 

of profanity, the analysis is by no means exhaustive. As a result of limitations, among which 

time was a ‘principal factor’, the study was restricted to a study of profanityusing the 

sociolinguistic approach only. A critical examination of this phenomenon, however, reveals 

that other approaches such as a stylistic approach and pragmatic approach were not covered in 

the present study. We therefore recommend further studies in these areas. 

 

Works Cited 

 Allan, Keith. Natural language semantics.Hoboken: Wiley-Blackwell Publishers, 2001. Print 

Allan, Keith. andBurridge, Kate. Forbidden words: Taboo and the censoring of language.

 Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006. Print. 

Amadi, Gloria .U. Sexism in English: A Lexical Study of Teacher’s Vocabulary Choices in 

 Select  Institutions of Higher Learning in South-East Nigeria: A Dissertation. Imo 

State University, Owerri, Imo State. 2020. 

Culpeper, Jonathan. Impoliteness: Using Language to Cause Offence. Cambridge: Cambridge 

 University Press. 2011. Print.  

El Saadawi, Nawal. Woman at Point Zero.London: Zed Books LTD. 1983. Print  

Hughes, Geoffrey. An Encyclopedia of Swearing: The Social History of Oath, Profanity, Foul 

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Jay, Timothy, Caldwell-Harris, Catherine and King, Krista.Recalling Taboo and Non-taboo 

words. American Journal of Psychology. 121, 83-103. 2008. 

Jay, Timothy and Janschewitz, Kristin.The Science of Swearing.The Observer, 25, 5-6.

 www.psychologicalscience.org2012. 

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Knyazyan, Anna.Gender and Disparaging Humour. A Journal of Armenian Folia Anglstiks

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