Women’s Language Features in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story: A Linguistic Analysis of the Main Character’s Speech

Abstract

This study investigates the women’s language features employed by Queen Charlotte in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story through Lakoff’s (1975) framework. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, the research examines the main character’s utterances throughout all episodes to identify the types and functions of linguistic features linked to women’s speech. The results show that Queen Charlotte uses eight of Lakoff’s ten features, including lexical hedges, tag questions, rising intonation, empty adjectives, intensifiers, hypercorrect grammar, avoidance of strong swear words, and emphatic stress. These features shed light on her complex persona as a woman balancing emotion, authority, and social expectations within the aristocratic world of the series. Nevertheless, the study finds no instances of Precise Color Terms or Superpolite Forms, indicating that Charlotte’s linguistic style differs from some stereotypical feminine norms due to her authoritative position. This research offers insight into the construction of gendered language in fictional discourse and serves as a reference for future studies on women’s language features in film and television.