Comparing Connotative And Denotative Meanings

Any word can carry two types of meaning: Denotative and connotative.TWs are no exception as they can be also interpreted denotatively or connotatively. According to Murphy (2010), denotative meaning is “the kind of meaning that is most directly represented in dictionary definitions of a word” (pp. 32–33). Whereas, connotative meaning refers to the affective or emotional representation that a word can evoke. Baker (1992) used " the term expressive meaning to describe meaning which conveys the feelings or attitudes of the speaker " (p. 13).
Based on their meaning, we can differentiate between two types of TWs : swear and non swear words. When they are used as a form of swearing, TWs are “primarily meant to convey connotative or emotional rather than literal meaning” (Jay & Janschewitz, 2008, p. 268). It is worth noting that “ word’s denotations are stored in the left hemisphere of the brain, whereas its connotations are mainly located in the right hemisphere, which is heavily involved with emotions especially negative emotions” (Pinker, 2007, pp 331_332).

It is generally believed that TWs when they are used in swearing contexts should not be interpreted literally or denotatively. For instance, the word hell is not considered a swear word, but just a taboo word when used literally to refer to the underground place where people do not want to end up after death (ibid).
Andersson and Trudgill (1990) summarize what constitutes swearing taboos in the following