This article gives an account of the usage and interpretation of a speech act – anathema. Brief information about speech acts and strong tendencies provided by distinguished scholars is mentioned. Moreover, the article presents an investigation conducted among groups of people working and studying in educational establishments together with its methods, results, findings and conclusion. The origin of the term and its meanings in various periods of time are explained clearly. Situations where units expressing anathema and their pragmatic degrees, types are highlighted. Customs expressing curses by some nations are given as an example.

anathema, curse words, accurse, annul, invalid, Pope, heretics, liturgical meaning, church officials, speech acts, negative, positive

J.Cutting – Pragmatics and Discourse: A Resource Book for Students (2002) – Florence. KY. USA: Routledge, p.16

N. Hasanova - Anatem mazmunli frazeologizmlarning lingvomadaniy tahlili (O’zbek va ingliz tillari misolida) (2023) – Journal of Education, Ethics and Value, Vol.2, No 3. P.34-38

N. Hasanova – “Ingliz tilida anatem birliklarning leksik-semantik voqelanishi” (7.06.2022) – Chet tillarni o’qitishda dolzarb muammolar, innovatsiyalar, an`analar, yechimlar va badiiy adabiyotlar tahlili – Respublika ilmiy-amaliy anjumani, p.92-95

N.Sulaymonova – “Olam lisoniy manzarasida baho kategoriyasi” (2023) – Samarqand davlat chet tillari institute – p.175

http://hozir.org/ozbekiston-respublikasi-oliy-va-orta-maxsus-talim-vazirligi-an-v50.html?page=104

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anathema