Abstract
This study examines the pragmatic implicatures of
abusive expressions in the Ilorin community of Kwara State, Nigeria. Although
abusive expressions are generally perceived as offensive, they often perform
important communicative functions such as humour, correction, ridicule,
condemnation, and social bonding. The study investigates how these expressions
convey meanings beyond their literal interpretations and how their meanings are
shaped by social, cultural, and religious contexts. A qualitative descriptive
research design was adopted. Data were collected through participant
observation, unstructured interviews, and audio recordings of naturally
occurring conversations in settings such as markets, homes, schools, and other
social gatherings. The data were analysed using Grice’s Conversational
Implicature Theory and Speech Act Theory.The findings reveal that abusive
expressions in the Ilorin community function as systematic pragmatic devices
whose meanings depend largely on context rather than literal interpretation.
Speakers frequently flout Grice’s Maxims of Quality and Manner through
metaphor, exaggeration, and rhetorical questions to generate implied meanings.
The expressions perform various communicative functions, including insult,
reprimand, humour, social correction, condemnation, and the reinforcement of
interpersonal relationships. The study concludes that abusive expressions in
the Ilorin community are culturally meaningful communicative resources whose
interpretation depends on the relationship between speakers, the context of
interaction, and shared cultural knowledge. It therefore demonstrates that
abusive language is not always intended to offend but also serves important
social and pragmatic functions within the speech community.
DOI: 10.36349/sojolics.2026.v02i01.029
author/Olawuyi, H. O., & Olakanmi, M. A.
journal/Sokoto JOLICS 2(1) | June 2026 |
