Anglicism and taboo: axiological values of the pure anglicism

Abstract

The influence of English on Spanish within the field of eroticism and sexuality has led to a considerable number of pure anglicisms to designate sex-related concepts. In this regard, it is the aim of this paper to examine the axiological values that anglicisms present in Spanish sexual vocabulary. To this end, we will explore the euphemistic, dysphemistic and quasieuphemistic values that sex-related anglicisms present in a corpus of pure anglicisms excerpted from two dictionaries: Diccionario gay-lésbico (2008) and Diccionario del sexo y el erotismo (2011). The analysis reveals that English borrowings do not only veil the so called linguistic taboos, but they are also used to disparage and degrade and even as a sign of cohesion within a group.