Origin of swear words in english. Susie Dent explains the origins of swear words 2022-10-30
Origin of swear words in english Rating:
6,7/10
487
reviews
Swear words, also known as profanity or obscenities, are words or phrases that are considered socially inappropriate or offensive due to their connotations of vulgarity or indecency. These words often have a strong emotional impact and are used to express strong feelings or to emphasize a point.
The origins of swear words in English are varied and complex. Many of these words have roots in older languages, such as Latin or Old English, and have undergone significant changes over time. Some swear words have evolved from words with more innocent meanings, while others have remained largely unchanged since their inception.
One of the earliest recorded swear words in English is the word "damn," which originated in the late 14th century as a shortened form of the phrase "by God's wounds." This phrase was originally used as an exclamation of surprise or shock, and was not considered particularly offensive at the time. However, over time, the word "damn" came to be associated with blasphemy and was considered a strong swear word.
Another common swear word in English, "hell," has a more complicated history. The word "hell" is derived from the Old English word "hel," which referred to a place of suffering or punishment after death. In the Middle Ages, "hell" was often used as a swear word to express anger or frustration, and it remains a common swear word to this day.
Other swear words in English have more recent origins. The word "dammit," for example, is a combination of "damn" and "it," and was likely created as a way to express frustration without using a more severe swear word. The word "crap" is a shortened form of the word "crapple," which was a term used to describe rotten apples in the 16th century. It eventually came to be used as a general term of contempt and is now considered a mild swear word.
It is worth noting that the use of swear words and the degree to which they are considered socially acceptable vary widely across cultures and time periods. What is considered a swear word in one place or time may not be considered offensive in another. In English, the use of swear words has generally become more acceptable over time, although certain words and phrases are still considered taboo in many contexts.
In conclusion, the origin of swear words in English is varied and complex, with some words having roots in older languages and others having more recent origins. While the use of swear words has become more acceptable over time, they are still considered socially inappropriate in many contexts and can have a strong emotional impact when used.
Swear words, etymology, and the history of English
From the days of the ancient Greeks, asses were symbols of clumsiness and idiocy. They were originally called Wild Honey which is almost as suggestive and they adopted their new name on the recommendation of ex-Beatle George Harrison, without being aware of the British usage. Germanic: Old Norse, Anglo-Saxon, Old Saxon, Old Frisian, Old High German, Middle Low German, Modern Low German, Middle Dutch, Gothic 2. Damn is the outlier, being of Latin roots. What was the first swear word in the universe? The taboo phrase is believed to be derived from the German word 'ficken' which means 'to rub', the Swedish word for penis 'fock', and the Dutch word 'fokken' which means 'to breed'. The girl's name, 'Fanny', does of course result in chuckles on either side of the Atlantic.
The surprising origins of your f*cking favorite swear words
We know where "shit" comes from, so it's time to explore when "bull" first started to take on more meaning beyond the name for male cattle. When men sleep, the build-up of urine in the bladder puts pressure on the man's prostate gland, resulting in an erection. The origins of swear words date back hundreds of years and many of the terms in the swearing arsenal refer quite crudely to the genitals. The Old English form was scitta and in Anglo-Saxon books the word scittan referred to a cattle having diarrhoea. Although the phrase 'cock-up' might appear to have come about in a similar way to 'balls-up', its origins are actually in beer making.
The message of his book, he says, is that we need to rethink our ideas about profanity altogether. Mind you, it must be tempting to mislead them if you are the person who they ask for the advice. And whilst the German family looks familiar, with its Vater, Mutter, Bruder, and Schwester, the French one, with père, mère, frère, and sœur looks distinctly foreign. English is a language whose vocabulary is the composite of a surprising range of influences. Obviously a compound word of "God" and "damn.
12 Swear Words In English That Have An Interesting History Behind Their Origin
Methods It was necessary to create two corpora in order to analyze the origins of euphemisms and swear-words in English. Not to mention sailors usually kept cargo below deck to keep it dry. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 4:153-161. Conclusion This is a subject which fills books, and has a word all of its own: what you have been reading is a brief outline of English scatolinguistics. Fanny Adams was an eight-year-old child who was murdered and dismembered in Alton, Hampshire, in 1867.
Origins of the naughtiest swear words in the English language
The first recorded usage of the word was unexpectedly used in a noble context in 1503, in a poem by Scottish poet William Dunbar. The most used swear words were fuck, shit, hell, damn, goddamn, bitch, boner, and sucks. Considered only moderately vulgar in the UK, it can be put to a number of different, often contradictory uses. To most people, some or all of that is "bad". She also reveals in her book that the average person uses about 0.
Our favourite four-letter words have a fascinating history. Old French, however, has passed its words for these animals into modern English as well, but not, perhaps, in a way we might instantly expect. Street-names, for example, reflect the grotty state of urban living in graphic detail. These words became swear words because they were looked down on, because they were of an inferior language spoken by an inferior people. Anthony Trollope's mother, Frances, wrote a highly critical book called The Domestic Manners of the Americans.
Origin of the terms "curse words" and "swear words"
The films, TV or radio programmes are controlled not to contain them. General Insults William the Conqueror's parents were not married, and before 1066 he was known as 'William the Bastard'. Piss This mild swear word originates from Latin pissare and French pissier both of which describe the sound of urination. This was first shown on Channel 4 in the late 1990s. Shit and cunt, which both have cognates in earlier Germanic and Scandinavian languages, have also been used in placenames from the Middle Ages. It indicates the ability to send an email. Many towns required permission to have children as uncontaminated resources were scarce.
So cleave to the Germanic wordhoard, lest your swearing grow romantic. Cursing means to wish for evil to happen to others -- and to state this wish as if to bring it about, by calling on a god or some magical spirit. Although 'bitch' and 'bastard' have different meanings, their usage is very similar, for, although a bitch is a female dog of any age, the word 'bitch' is often used as a female form of 'bastard'. Unfortunately, these explanations don't satisfy me. Not to mention sex, private parts, mucus membranes, slimy or otherwise icky life-forms, etc. Slang names for certain body parts have also evolved in fun ways.
The Dictionary of Euphemisms Holder 1995 was chosen as the basis for the corpus of euphemisms. Button The earliest Hungarian swear word which was written down comes from the 1370 chronic called Dubnici. Shit This word comes from Old English word scitte, meaning purging or excrement. One theory is that the word is derived from the German ficken, which once meant to rub. Some naughty words were also documented in pornographic books, because here the obscene language went hand in hand with obscene doings. What old dead languages do we have to thank for some of the best words of all time? The term could derive from the old English word 'thwitan' which means to cut off.
