Morpho-Semantics of Profanity in Kurdish: A Distributed Morphology (DM) Approach

Abstract

This study investigates the morpho-semantic structure of taboo language and profanity within the Central Dialect of Kurdish (Sorani), utilizing the framework of Distributed Morphology (DM). Moving beyond traditional lexicographical approaches, the research argues that Kurdish taboo expressions are not merely emotional outbursts but complex grammatical constructs governed by precise linguistic operations. By analyzing data from contemporary Kurdish discourse and literary sources, the study demonstrates how neutral Roots ($\sqrt{}$) undergo a process of Late Insertion and contextual categorization to acquire pejorative meanings.

The analysis focuses on three primary mechanisms: the role of the Encyclopedia in mapping socio-political history onto linguistic structures, the use of Reduplication as a prosodic tool for depreciation, and the principle of Social Blocking, where compound pejoratives displace neutral terms to maximize pragmatic impact. The findings reveal that the Kurdish language exhibits a high degree of "morphological creativity" in generating offensive structures, reflecting a deep intersection between syntax, phonology, and the collective socio-political memory of the speech community. Ultimately, this research provides a formal account of how the Kurdish mental lexicon organizes and retrieves socially sensitive linguistic units. This study will only remain within the framework of the middle dialect of Kurdish. Because this dialect has a rich morpho-phonological characteristic in the formation of nicknames, complaints and adjectives. This method helps us to finally come up with a comprehensive weave for the morphology of slang words in this dialect.