An exploration of 'cunt'-derived neologisms in present-day English

Resumo

This paper explores the emergence of neologisms derived from the word "cunt" in contemporary English, particularly within the context of internet communication. Traditionally considered a rather offensive word in English, "cunt" has undergone a notable transformation in social media settings, acquiring more positive and varied connotations. An example of a “cunt”-related neologism is “I was bored, so I decided to cuntify my lighter” (X, 2024), in which “cuntify” means to make something more charming or appealing. Thus, this study aims to document and analyze the new uses of “cunt,” focusing on how they integrate into broader linguistic frameworks such as Derivational Morphology and Construction Grammar. The research involved extracting data from the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to capture real-time usage of "cunt"-derived neologisms. By applying derivational suffixes listed by Crystal (2018), such as "-age," "-dom," "-ery," "-hood," "-ism," "-ocracy," and "-ship," the study identified a range of new terms like "cuntage," "cuntdom," "cuntery," "cunthood," "cuntism," "cuntocracy," and "cuntship." These neologisms reflect diverse meanings, often highlighting attributes like empowerment, boldness, and innovation. Analysis also identified potential analogies based on phonetic similarity, such as "cunter scale" mirroring "Richter scale," "cuntic" mirroring “Atlantic,” and "cuntette" aligning with "cadette," among others. These analogies likely arise from the term "cunt" being highly adaptable, allowing it to integrate seamlessly with various morphological structures and representations. Analysis also utilized Fillmore et al.'s (1988) framework for classifying constructions. The study found that "cunt"-related neologisms typically fall under decoding constructions, as they require contextual understanding for their meanings. Moreover, they adhere to standard grammatical rules, rendering them grammatical constructions, and they exhibit flexibility in form and meaning, characteristic of formal constructions. Findings also suggest that these neologisms are highly productive in present-day English, contributing to the evolving landscape of internet language and reflecting broader cultural shifts towards inclusivity and self-expression.