Disgusting, obscene and aggravating language: speech descriptors and the sociopragmatic evaluation of speech in theOld Bailey Corpus

Abstract

This article deals with the mechanisms that language users employ in historical periods to represent spoken language in writing. I focus on a set of features known asspeech descriptors, which allow users to combine representation and evaluation of thespeech(and, possibly, of thespeaker), such asmost disgustingin ‘he used most disgusting language’. The study shows that such speech descriptors in combination with the lemmalanguageare used for a number of sociopragmatic purposes in theOld Bailey Corpuswhich includes legal materials, especially testimony, from 1720 to 1913. The descriptors can be used to avoid having to repeat a more specific, and possibly offensive and socially or morally inappropriate utterance; they can be used to put the spotlight on the evaluation and impact of the wording rather than the original speech itself; and they can help users mitigate, deflect, or disprove an accusation or guilt. Overall, the article demonstrates that studying the speech of the past must necessarily involve investigating the complex choices made by language users in terms of what to represent, what means to use to represent the speech, and how they evaluate the speech (and speaker).