Electronic Theses and Dissertation

Taboo words are one part of sociolinguistics that are related to culture and society. Taboo words are socially and legally prohibited to be uttered in public because they are viewed as improper and bad or rude language. Internet forums are one of the media where some people produce taboo words, and the examples used in this study were found on two social bookmarking sites. These websites are image-based and video-based website forums which center on user-uploaded pictures or videos. This research only focused on the types and the functions of English taboo words found on these social bookmarking sites. In this study the writer used a qualitative approach because the data for this research was in the form of words rather than numbers. This study used the theory of Wijana and Rohmadi (2007, pp.115-130) for analyzing the types of taboo words, meanwhile for other purposes, the writer used Ljung’s theory (2006, pp. 60-61). The study found 106 taboo words used in comments posted on ten topics on these two chosen social bookmarking sites in April 2017. The writer found many functions for which English taboo words were used on the two social bookmarking sites used such as: object, conditions, part of body, activities, professions and magic or myth. The writer also found many functions of English taboo words used on the social bookmarking sites by the users, such as: affirmations, standing insults, emphasis, strengthening, abusive keywords, exclamations, unfriendly urging and denials. One big difference with this study and previous studies is that this study looks at taboo language used by members of social bookmarking on the internet which although only accessed by members are open to the public to join but because the members use nom-de-plumes or pseudonyms effectively the authors of the taboo language are anonymous. This is in contrast to the use of taboo language in public like in newspapers or TV where it would be consored or in places like public radio or public discussions it could even invite prosecution or punitive action. The anonymity of posting on these social sites seems to generate a flood of taboo language, some of it, no doubt, from people with inferiority complexes posting taboo language to boost their self esteem in private.

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