Abstract: Language, a tool for exchanging ideas, thoughts and information, is the carrier of recording the development and changes of human society. The generation and development of language are closely related to people’s social attitudes. Therefore, linguistic inequality is the product of social inequality. Since the 21st century, the female’s social status has been improved, but there are still some unequal phenomena. The phenomenon of gender differences in English negative words has become the new hot spot in the modern society. From the perspective of sociolinguistics, this paper will take English negative words as the topic to analyze gender differences of English negative words from its resources, characteristics. The causes of gender differences of English negative words are to be discussed and revealed. Hopefully the discussion of this paper is to arouse people’s attention in using proper language, reducing gender differences and proposing decent behaviors in social public space.

Key words: sociolinguistics; English negative words; gender differences; causes

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1. Introduction-1

2. Sociolinguistics and Gender Differences-2

2.1 Sociolinguistics and its Research Scope-2

2.2 Gender Differences and Research Significance-3

3. Gender Differences in English Negative Words-4

3.1 Major Sources of English Negative Words-5

3.1.1 Transformation from Animal Words-5

3.1.2 Transformation from Female Words-6

3.1.3 Religion and Mythology-8

3.2 Characteristics of Negative Words-9

3.2.1 Timeliness-9

3.2.2 Relativity-10

3.2.3 Impoliteness-11

3.3 Contrasts between English Negative Words in Gender-11

3.3.1 Differences in Quantity-12

3.3.2 Differences in Polysemy in Negative Words-13

3.3.3 Different Contextual Usage-14

4. Causes of Gender Differences in Negative Words-15

4.1 The Social Psychology-15

4.1.1 Social Prejudices-16

4.1.2 Social Division-16

4.2 Religious Cultures-17

4.3 Education-19

4.4 Literature Influences-20

5. Conclusion-21

References-23