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by mrs.ANONYMOUS on August 6th, 2006

mrs.ANONYMOUS

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Where did swear words come from, and why are just those words swear words?

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  • by VSPrasad on March 13th, 2008

    VSPrasad

    A word considered taboo and impolite or offensive.

    (in the singular): curse, curse word, cuss, dirty word, expletive, four-letter word, oath

    (in the plural) the plurals of all the synonyms for the singular form, as well as the following, which are all uncountable: bad language, French, strong language, swearing

    http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Swearword

    An oath is either a promise or a statement of fact calling upon something or someone that the oath maker considers sacred, usually a god, as a witness to the binding nature of the promise or the truth of the statement of fact. To swear is to take an oath.

    A person taking an oath indicates this in a number of ways. The most usual is the explicit "I swear".

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oath

    Swear, declare or affirm solemnly that one will perform in a certain manner or do a certain thing. Swear can also mean to curse or use profanity.

    1. sworn statement, affirmation, or pledge (Ex. Oath)

    2. solemn declaration that certain facts are true (Ex. Covenant)

    3. religious vows (Ex. Canon Law, Celibacy; Clergy; Mendicant Friars)

    4. profane utterances deemed contrary to public morality standards (Ex. Obscenity)

    5. abstinence from profanity and profane oaths

    6. use of profanity in music (Ex. Rap)

    http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761586220/Swear.html

    oath, vocal affirmation of the truth of one's statements, generally made by appealing to a deity. From the earliest days of human history, calling upon the gods of a community to witness the truth of a statement or the solemnity of a promise has been commonly practiced. The force of the oath depends on the belief that supernatural powers will punish falsehood spoken under oath or the violation of a promise. The oath thus performs wide legal and quasi-legal functions. It was the basis of the medieval process of compurgation
    . It is still used in legal proceedings today: Thus, a jury is
    sworn in, and a witness takes an oath before testifying. In modern times, the force of the oath is strengthened by punishment for perjury
    . Difficulties have arisen in cases of atheists or of persons
    with religious scruples against oath-taking (e.g., Quakers), but statutes have now generally been modified so that a witness may affirm his intention to tell the truth without appealing to a deity. The main classes of oaths are the assertory oath, which concerns past or present facts, and the promissory oath, which refers to future conduct (such as that taken by an alien upon naturalization or by a high government official on assuming office). In the 1950s, fear of Communist subversion led many governmental and educational institutions to institute loyalty oaths, which required employees to swear to their non-membership in the Communist party or other presumptively subversive organizations. In the 1960s these loyalty oath requirements were invalidated by the Supreme Court.

    http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/swearword

    Different culture have different swear words, either
    inherited from old traditions or as obligations in religion.

    "A swear-word in a rustic slum
    A simple swear-word is to some,
    To Masefield something more."

    - Max Beerbohm

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  • by A GOOD GURL on March 13th, 2008

    A GOOD GURL

    THE DEVIL. THEY'RE NOT. THERE ARE ALSO VULGAR WORDS THAT ARE DISPLEASING TO THE EAR. IF IT'S DISPLEASING TO YOU THEN IT'S DISPLEASING TO GOD!

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  • by tris992000 on January 7th, 2007

    tris992000

    A profanity (or bad word, swear word, curse word, cuss word, dirty word, foul language) under current colloquial use is a word, expression, gesture, or other usage which is socially constructed as insulting, rude or vulgar. The extent to which a profanity is considered to be in some way disagreeable or objectionable depends on context, timing and various other factors. However, the use of certain profanities at certain times, especially in a public setting or during a solemn occasion, may always be considered inappropriate or in bad taste, if not outright abusive, obscene or offensive. At other times the use of certain profanities will be considered mild or acceptable, and may take less recognizable forms, such as a minced oath.

    The original meaning of the term was restricted to blasphemy, sacrilege or saying the Lord's name in vain. Profanity represented a secular indifference to religion or religious figures, while blasphemy was a more offensive attack on religion and religious figures. However, the term has been extended to include expressions with scatological, sexist, derogatory, racist, or sexual themes. Compare the concept of the four-letter word. The more vague and inclusive interpretation blurs the distinction between categories of offensive words (see Cursing in America by Timothy Jay).

    The use and meaning of profanity is culturally and linguistically specific. For example, many profanities in Quebec French are a corruption of religious terminology, while many English obscenities tend to reference sexuality. A term which functions as a profanity in one language may often lack any profane quality when translated into another language.

    US obscenity laws were originally meant to prohibit attacks on religion and religious figures or to protect children from profane speech. Since the time of the Civil War in the late 1800s, restrictions have focused more on sexual speech. There has always been great difficulty in defining profanity. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission, in response to complaints about a 1973 broadcast comedy routine by George Carlin, called: Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television, ruled that such language could not be broadcast at times of day when there is a reasonable risk that children may be in the audience. The Supreme Court of the United States upheld this act of censorship in F.C.C. v. Pacifica Foundation, 438 U.S. 726 (1978). Despite this definition, people of every ethnicity, class and level of education swear. Seventy-two percent of American men and fifty-eight percent of American women swear in public [citation needed], and Sixty-one percent of adolescents and Eighty-nine percent of adults swear in public. Most researchers consider these numbers to be in line with other populations worldwide.

    Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swear_words

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