GENDER ASYMMETRY AND EVALUATIVE POLARITY IN ENGLISH ZOONYM-BASED SLANG

Abstract. This study examines gender reference and evaluative polarity in 138 English slang units motivated by animal names. The sample comprises six zoological groups and includes only human-denoting entries. Quantitative coding shows that 65.94% of the units are gender-neutral, 23.91% target women and 10.14% target men. Negative evaluation constitutes 51.45% of the sample. The findings reveal asymmetry in the lexicographic repertoire while also showing that zoonymic slang primarily functions as a general interpersonal evaluation resource.