Menstrual X-phemisms in the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA)

Abstract

The aim of this study is to gain insight into the use of menstrual X-phemisms in American English with the assistance of the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA). This study seeks to determine which X-phemisms are used most frequently and in which contexts they appear. The expressions will be categorised based on the aspect of menstruation they reference. The first section of the thesis demonstrates how taboos influence language and explores euphemisms, dysphemisms, and orthophemisms. Additionally, this thesis covers prominent theories on the origins of the menstrual taboo and examines past research on menstrual expressions. The second section of the thesis utilises COCA to investigate 21 menstrual X-phemisms.

Keywords: X-phemisms, text corpora, menstruation, taboo language, American English