Taboo Language in Context: An Exploratory Study of Taboo Language from the Point of View of Register

ABSTRACT Language users make use of several linguistic resources to make meanings regarding the world around them as well as others (EGGINS, [1994] 2004, p. 11). The user then recognizes a specific code for each communicative situation and selectively adapts his/her options to the particular context. Against this background, this article sets out to investigate taboo language from the standpoint of Register variables, proposed by Halliday (1978; [1985] 2014). On the one hand, we follow a theoretical approach by proposing an intersection between the register variables and the concept of markedness (HYMES, 1974). On the other hand, we make use of this proposal in a purpose-built corpus. Results show the predominance of the unmarked use of taboo in the corpus.