insulta

Insulta is a verb form used in several Romance languages, notably Spanish and Italian, meaning to offend someone through abusive or disrespectful language. In Spanish, insulta is the third-person singular present indicative of insultar, and it can also appear as the informal tú imperative meaning “insult!” In Italian, insulta is the third-person singular present indicative of insultare, and the tu imperative is also insulta. The corresponding noun forms are insulto in both languages: in Spanish insulto (plural insultos) and in Italian insulto (plural insulti).

From a linguistic perspective, insult is a type of speech act that expresses anger, contempt, or ridicule and can threaten the addressee’s social face. The perceived severity and acceptability of an insult depend on context, relationship, and cultural norms. Insults may be general or target specific groups, and when they reference protected characteristics they are often discussed in relation to harassment or hate speech. In media and online communication, insults are used to convey disagreement, provoke reactions, or delegitimize opponents, and platforms frequently adopt policies to regulate abusive language.

Etymology: insultar/insultare derive from Latin insultare, from insultus, related to notions of assault or attack. The word insulta is thus embedded in everyday vocabulary in these languages for describing the action of insulting.