Sources of Offensive Nicknames in the Horan District in Jordan: A Sociolinguistic Study

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the sources of offensive nicknames used by Jordanians in the Horan district from a sociolinguistic perspective. The sample consists of 150 nickname-users who live in the Horan district. A questionnaire was used for data collection. For data analysis, offensive nicknames were classified into many categories and then descriptively analyzed according to their sources. The study shows that these nicknames are associated with the nicknamees' body features, unpleasant psychological traits, or sensitive events in the nicknamees' lifetimes. The results of the study signify nicknames as a powerful tool by the hands of nickname users to show dominance over the nickname bearers. Nicknames in the rural regions in Jordan are extremely offensive and would negatively affect the nicknamees' self-esteem. It is hoped that the results of the current study will open the door for other researchers to go deeper into examining this sociolinguistic phenomenon.