Pejorative

As a pejorative ( Pl: Pejorativa ) or pejorative ( Pl: pejorative ) ( to Latin peior, poor ') is in linguistics, especially in the semantics, a linguistic expression then called, when he signified that with him " implicitly devalues ". ( The corresponding adjective pejorative means pejorative '. ) A pejorative is therefore no grammatical part of speech, indicates the speaker's intention to go to represent something or someone deliberately bad with such an expression. In terms of word formation Pejorativa are often characterized by certain pre-or suffixes. Explicit Pejorativa are swear words; similar to a pejorative is a Dysphemismus.

Types and formation of Pejorativa

As Pejorativa can act in itself value-neutral or even positive connotation words. Such expressions only have a pejorative function when specifically requested by the speaker and so he aware of the appropriate word choice is made. To get the neutral word for a shed building a derogatory function when about a dance hall is called so. The positive word itself is talented to a pejorative, if you want to call a really gifted person down reducing as merely " talented ".

Part of the value-neutral in themselves expressions are those who move in a pictorial manner the characteristics or behavior of a person to ridicule or morbid, the faecal, animal or in a similar area. Examples include logorrhoea for, talkativeness ', sleepyhead for a person with a slow behavior, pig, monkey, donkey for animal comparisons. Such relative ( not just humans) write-ups can become independent over time and either with primarily pejorative meaning, or even as a unique swear words in the vocabulary consolidate ( lexicalization ). Examples of such words, where the pejorative function is in the foreground and the original, " real" meaning stands back, are about gang mutt or bawl. Such a process of deterioration word called Pejoration.

This group of expressions that are already perceived from the outset as negative and marked as a pejorative vocabulary that belong especially those words that are re-emerged by means of word formation processes of value-neutral or positive connotation words. These include

  • ( Sing or talk ) pretty boy and ugly ( by lovely), childish (of child), chanting and talk, coward (of cowardly ) protesters ( in protest), etc.: derivations using so-called Pejorativsuffixe
  • Composite or phrasing: blandish, whitewashing or ... pretty stupid, but also Deonymisierungen, so training with people names like - hans (el), -fritz or suse ( Polit Hansel, press Fritze, crybaby ) etc.!

Pejorative, Dysphemismus and insult

The three terms pejorative, Dysphemismus and insult are often used interchangeably, since their meanings overlap partially. While pejorative but rather refers to the study of the Word as to its semantics and word formation, at a Dysphemismus the act of devaluing is the pragmatic aspect, ie the point of view in relation to the linguistic act, and therefore even in the foreground. The ratio of swear words to pejorative is that all swear words are pejorative, but conversely not represent all pejorative a term of abuse.

Dysphemismen and swear words differ in the way that swear words primarily relate to people, but Dysphemismen also relate to things, events, and states. In addition, can - in contrast to clear foul language - other pejorative terms used at the same time playful nature ( see, for instance the example above scales), so allow a portion of the expressed with the word devaluation at the same moment is withdrawn. In the event of foul language, this can only occasionally be accomplished with the use of a diminutive ( diminutive ) ( for example Schweinderl / pig instead of pork).

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