| The address system is one which consists of words referring to human beings in communication. The system can be divided into nominal and pronoun subsystems. The terms in the system have two characteristic functions: referential and vocative. The distinction between the referential and vocative function of the terms is systematized as a distinction between what are called terms of reference and terms of address. We think that addressing terms are a part of the linguistic system and belong to what Saussure called langue. We hold the view that offensive and polite discourses are not complementary opposites; Offensive discourse are not deviations, instead they are just the normal; there is no such one to one correspondence between the form of offensive discourse and its function, and the offensive discourse may have positive and negative functions. Therefore offensive addressing terms are those politely/impolitely, friendly/unfriendly or even insulting terms which the speakers have uttered intentionally or unintentionally to create emotional reactions of the hearers. What we have discussed are the addressing terms and their referential and vocative use.The offensive addressing terms can be categorized from different perspectives. In terms of mode, we have direct and indirect ones; in terms of motive, we have intentional and unintentional ones; in terms of addressees, the offensive addressing terms can cover such aspects as the sex, the profession, the human race, the ethnic group, the physical and mental state of the addressees, etc. In terms of degree, we have cursing terms, pejorative terms,derogatory terms, haughty terms, etc.We hold the view that derogatory terms and pejorative terms are related, and they form a continuum, i.e. some terms can both be derogatory and pejorative terms. And the major differences lie in the different point of departure, the different social status of the speaker and the addressee, the different involvement of the subjective and objective factors, the different choice of words, and the different strength of emotion, etc.The cursing terms are addressing terms which give vent to the speaker's pent-up feelings such as anger, resentment, etc. and with which the speaker intentionally insults the addressee maliciously. Just like the derogatory terms and pejorative terms, the cursing terms can be used in their own sense and can be used in variation. That is to say, the terms can express offence or other feelings. In certain context, when the derogatory terms and pejorative terms are invested with abusive intention, they are converted to cursing terms.A nickname is a term other than one's own name which is given by some other people characterizing the bearer's features such as looks, name, physiological or behavior qualities, etc. and shows the giver's subjective evaluation and emotion to the bearer. The important features of nicknames are the passiveness, the prominence, the expressiveness, the informality, individuality, the fluid nature and the non-uniqueness.The constituent forms of offensive addressing terms are exemplified by the pejorative terms, the haughty forms, names, and the terms created by means of parody. The pejorative terms consist of words in langue and the phrases formed according to grammatical rules.The haughty forms can be terms denoting one's real identity, or terms denoting one's imagined identity. People can be offended by names and forms include one's surname or given name, nickname created according to one's name, transferred name, the name's implication, name plus words denoting one's seniority among siblings, name given as a baby, endearment, etc. The terms created by means of parody include types in terms of linguistic unit, meaning, and structure.The characteristics of offensive addressing terms include the limit of time in usage, the different degree of offence, the variation, the restrictive use, the shocking illocutionary force, the sensitivity of the offence. The limit of time in usage is manifested by the terms'disappearance, the degradation of the meaning, the different flavor, etc. The different degree of offence is shown by the fact the terms may be commendatory or derogatory in different context, different terms have different insulting flavor, different addressees have different attitudes to the same term, and the addressee may misunderstand the flavor of the terms. For variation, we have functional, gender and emotive flavor variations. The restrictive use means the restrictive use of place, addressee, speaker and forms.Contextual factors play an important role in the production and understanding of the utterances. During the production of the utterances, the speaker's cognition of and his tendency towards the context should be included in cognitive context in addition to the activation of long-term knowledge from the shared knowledge structure in the process of understanding; and the three elements of context are integrated and foster the correct production and understanding of utterances.The three contextual factors such as co-text, context of situation and context of culture can restrict the switch of the offensive addressing terms themselves and the switch from other types of addressing terms to offensive addressing terms. At the same time, speaker can manipulate the above contextual factors for the sake of his ends. The contextual factors and speaker's manipulation operate together to gear the production of the utterances.Offensive addressing terms can perform expressive, performative, and social-cultural functions. The expressive function includes the release of such feelings as distress, sorrow, anger, anxiety, etc. and it can show the addressee's positive and negative emotions; it can reveal the group awareness and identity among the communicators; it can help establish the roles played by the speaker and the addressee. Offensive addressing terms can enforce such illocutionary acts as rebuke, threatening, warning, etc. We think that the illocutionary force can be intended or unintended, the force is influenced by context, and the speaker must consider the length and the strength of the force. And we think offensive addressing terms can reflect the culture from the obvious and the hidden sides; and can regulate people's moral conduct.Offensive addressing terms can reflect the gender, social and cognitive psychology. The social psychology reflected includes taboo, prejudice, and imitation, etc. The associations of proximity, similarity and opposition are the cognitive psychology reflected. |
