Words that wound: Exploring online offensive language

This innovative book examines the dynamics of offensive language online, offering a fresh perspective on the topic. We situate offence, as well as the acts of causing and taking offence, within the theoretical framework of (im)politeness. Our analysis explores how offensive language operates on a continuum—from mildly non-polite expressions to grossly offensive remarks that may potentially be illegal. To mitigate the common issue of researcher bias, our study is grounded in naturally occurring data flagged by the targets as offensive. Through this lens, we analyse recurring patterns, structures, and meanings that convey offensive implications in our corpus, with a particular focus on implied and creatively constructed offensive language.