The Analysis of Swear Words Used by People in Intergenerational Communication in Penglatan Village

Abstract

This study investigates the use of basa kasar (swear words) in intergenerational communication in Penglatan Village, Buleleng, Bali. The study focuses on the forms, types, functions, and contextual meanings of swear words used by younger and older generations in everyday communication. The findings show that basa kasar is commonly used in informal interactions, including family conversations, peer interactions, and community gatherings. A total of 35 swear words were identified and classified into four types: obscenity, profanity, insult and slur, and emphatic swearing. Among these categories, insult and slur constituted the dominant type. The findings also show that swear words perform five communicative functions: expressive, dysphemistic, abusive, emphatic, and idiomatic. Importantly, swear words were not used exclusively to express hostility or insult. They were also used to express emotions, strengthen intimacy and solidarity, create humor, emphasize messages, and maintain informal interaction. Younger speakers tended to use swear words more frequently than older speakers, but both generations shared similar lexical repertoires and interpretations of their meanings and functions. The findings indicate that the meaning of basa kasar is strongly influenced by context, interpersonal relationships, tone, and communicative intention. Thus, swear words in Penglatan Village represent a context-sensitive sociolinguistic resource and an established part of local social and cultural communication.