Humanities & Social Sciences 2 (2016 9) 294-309 ~ ~ ~ УДК 81`373.47 The Linguistic Appraisal of Foul Language in Selected Yorщbб Video Films Tиmнtọ́pẹ́ Olъmъyмwб* Adekunle Ajasin University Akщngbб-Akуkу, Nigeria Received 27.12.2015, received in revised form 10.01.2016, accepted 30.01.2016 Language is so subtle and complicated human phenomenon that it is used in communication for informative, expressive and directives. <...> The environment we live is largely verbal therefore; language serves expressive function when used in conversation to get individuals to be more effective, polite and in causing or easing social tensions. <...> Though, the structural patterns of foul language used in everyday interaction in Yorщbб society are similar to the ones used in Yorщbб video fi lms. <...> The use of foul language in Yorщbб video fi lms has become a common feature to be ignored. <...> The main thrust of this paper therefore, is to give a linguistic appraisal of the two types of foul language used in Yorщbб video fi lms. <...> The paper examines the socio-semantic implications of foul language as it is used in the video fi lms and shows that insults are more frequently used than curses in the fi lms. <...> Also, the paper examines the grammatical analysis of foul language used in the selected video fi lms and posits that while insults come in noun phrases and sentences, curses are delivered in verb phrases and sentences. <...> Keywords: Yorщbб, video fi lms, Noun Phrase, Verb Phrase, Insults (ийbъ), curses (иpи). <...> Copi (1953:35) observes that language serves expressive function whenever it is used to vent or communicate feelings, emotions or attitudes. <...> The choice of different expressions has to do with the speech context and the respective roles the interactants take on, McGregor (2009:157). <...> The Linguistic Appraisal of Foul Language in Selected Yorщbб Video Films should be viewed not as an abstract calculus but as tool, the proper characterization of a linguistic expression must include an account of how it is used and what it is used for. <...> Though the structural patterns of foul language examined in this study is similar to the ones used in everyday interaction in the Yorщbб society <...>