Investigating the Effect of Context (Gender-Homogeneous and Nonhomogeneous Contexts) on Taboo Word Utilization in Persian: A Sociolinguistic Account

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Humanities, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran

10.22111/ijals.2025.50217.2481

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of context—specifically gender-homogeneous and gender-nonhomogeneous settings, on the use of taboo words in the speech of Persian speakers from a sociolinguistic perspective. The research adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative methodologies through survey and fieldwork techniques. The theoretical framework is based on the classification of taboo words proposed by Jay and Janschewitz (2008) and Jay (2009). Statistical analyses were conducted using t-tests, chi-square tests, analysis of variance, and Tukey’s post hoc test. The findings revealed that, in general, men (68.3%) used more taboo words than women in same-gender contexts. This pattern was also observed in anger situations within homogeneous contexts, suggesting that men, compared with women, are more sensitive in word choice and display greater politeness in mixed-gender contexts (p < .05). Furthermore, the interactive effect of gender and context indicated that men and women over the age of 45 used fewer taboo words in mixed-gender contexts than other participants. Overall, the observed differences between men and women in the use of taboo words can be explained through politeness theory (Bucholtz & Lakoff, 2004; Holmes, 2013) and the notion that women generally act as conversational facilitators. These findings contribute to sociolinguistic theory by demonstrating how social variables influence language use in Persian and by offering practical insights for language education and cross-cultural communication.

Keywords

References

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Iranian Journal of Applied Language Studies
Volume 18, Issue 1
July 2026
Pages 63-82

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