Expletive attributive

For other uses, seeExpletive (disambiguation).

Anexpletive attributiveis anadjectiveoradverb(or adjectival or adverbial phrase) that does not contribute to themeaningof a sentence, but is used tointensifyits emotional force. Often such words or phrases are regarded asprofanityor "bad language", though there are also inoffensive expletive attributives. The word is derived from theLatinverbexplere,meaning "to fill", and it was originally introduced into English in the 17th century for various kinds ofpadding.

Etymology

Expletivecomes from theLatinverbexplere,meaning "to fill", viaexpletivus,"filling out". It was introduced into English in the 17th century for various kinds of padding—the padding out of a book with peripheral material, the addition of syllables to a line of poetry for metrical purposes, and so forth. The use ofexpletivefor such a meaning is now rare. Rather,expletiveis a linguistics term for a meaningless word filling asyntactic vacancy.Outsidelinguistics,the word is commonly used to refer to "bad language" orprofanity.Some linguists use it as shorthand for "expletive attributive".

Usage

There are manyattributive adjectivesand adverbs inEnglishthat function to indicate a speaker's anger, irritation or (in some cases) strong approval without otherwise modifying the meaning of the phrase in which they occur.An example is the wordbloodyas used in the following sentences:

• "You'd better pray for abloodymiracle if you want to avoid bankruptcy. "
• "That was abloodygood meal. "
• "You'd betterbloody wellmake it happen! "

An expletive attributive is a type ofintensifier.Unlike other adjective or adverb usage,bloodyorbloody wellin these sentences do not modify the meaning ofmiracle,good meal,ormake it happen.The expletive attributives here suggest that the speaker feels strongly about the proposition being expressed. Othervulgar wordsmay also be used in this way:

• "Thegoddamnpoliceman tailed me all thegoddamnway home. "
• "Ifuckinghope hefuckingchokes on hismotherfuckingpeanuts. "

Words that are never thought of as offensive can be used in similar ways. For example:

• "I forgot to pay the phone bill twice running, so thewretchedline was cut off. "

The phone line discussed may have, before it was cut off, been just as good as any other, so would not have beenwretchedin the literal senses of "extremely shoddy", "devoid of hope" or similar. Rather,wretchedserves here as a politer equivalent of expletivebloodyand the like.

Infixation and interposition

Main article:Expletive infixation

Besides usual positioning for adverbs and attributive adjectives, expletive attributives can be found in unusual positions where others rarely are (including otherintensifiers). Although considered colloquial at best, they are inserted:

• inside morphemes
• between bases and affixes
• inside compounds
• inside letter and numeral words
• inside names
• between an adverb, negative or intensifier and an adjective
• between an adjectival or determiner and a noun
• between a preposition and a noun
• between a verb and a particle or adverb
• between an auxiliary and a verb
• preceding the post-modifierelse
• inside idioms
• between awh-form and a predicate

Depending on the precise definition (and the grammarian's general approach), these insertions may be classed asinfixation,tmesis,diacope,interposition or unrecognized.

See also

• Affect (linguistics)