What is it about?
This paper explores how people use curses in Lari, an endangered language spoken in southern Iran and other countries. Based on 450 curses collected from 30 speakers, the study looks at how and why people use them. It finds that curses can serve different purposes, such as persuading someone, congratulating them, expressing sympathy, or insulting others. Older women were found to use curses mainly when speaking to younger Lari speakers who share their religious background.
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Why is it important?
This study is important because it documents an under-researched aspect of Lari, an endangered language, and highlights how cursing reflects social relationships, cultural values, and community norms. It contributes to our understanding of language use and pragmatics while helping preserve the linguistic and cultural heritage of Lari-speaking communities.
Perspectives
I hope this paper will encourage researchers and Lari speakers to look at cursing expressions from a new perspective and appreciate their role in everyday communication and culture. More broadly, I see this study as one way to document and preserve Lari, an endangered language that has limited access to media and suitable platforms for its promotion. By recording and sharing these expressions, I hope to help raise awareness of Lari and support efforts to keep the language and its cultural heritage alive.
Muhammed Ourang
University of New South Wales
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Women’s cursing practices in the Lari language, International Journal of Language and Culture, September 2026, John Benjamins,
DOI: 10.1075/ijolc.24058.our.
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