| Summary: | AbstractThis paper aimed to examine the semantics and pragmatics of cursing expressions in Rayya Tigrinya spoken in the Southern Tigray Zone in Ethiopia. Accordingly, cursing expressions’ literal and contextual meanings performed in various contexts were presented and discussed. The study adopted a descriptive design within a qualitative research approach. Four males and four females altogether eight participants, aged 21–85 years, were selected for the study. The pertinent data were collected from native Rayya Tigrinya speakers via semi-structured interviews, elicitation, and introspection. The gathered data were described and analyzed through linguistic descriptive methods. The findings revealed that all but children irrespective of gender curse their legs, hands, ears, eyes, and tongue, all of which are the basic body parts and their dysfunctions make one dependent, to express guilt and regret for the wrong they have done to themselves or others. However, mothers and elderly women whose curses are believed to be more efficacious and disastrous than men tend to curse themselves to express encouragement and condolence to other people in bad situations. On the other hand, parents and elders curse other individuals seeking punishment, revenge, and justice. To sum up, curses are used for face-saving and face-threatening acts. The curses of health, wealth, lineage, and power are the recurrent themes expounded in the Rayya Tigrinya. In most cases, cursing expressions are also performed calling upon the supernatural power to execute the maledictions, which also makes them religious.
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