Polysemy of the term ‘shit’ in hip hop lyrics
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to analyze usage of language, which may be perceived as “profane”, in the Black community today. This was done by surveying members of the Black community about usage of the term ‘shit’ and its meaning in hip hop lyrics. The information from this survey was analyzed and ‘shit’ was determined to be polysemous. The many meanings of the term were demonstrative of both positive and negative connotations in the contexts of the hip hop lyrics which were analyzed. These findings combined with other findings on language usage within the Black community suggests that semantic inversion of pejorative and profane language is a common trend in the oral tradition of the Black community.
Degree
M.A.
Advisors
Roberts, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Linguistics|Black studies|Black history
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