ChatterBank1 min ago
Swearing
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Who decided that some words were bad or rude (I am talking about the four letter word) and why?
Answers
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It seems that different words fell out of favour at different times. One person is unlikely to have decided that a word is suddenly rude. Social change and attitudes progress and words become unacceptable.
For instance some words that were used 40 years ago by white people to describe black people are no longer acceptable, but many years ago not many would have batted an eyelid at some of the now taboo phrases. This is a result of a change in social attitudes.
Many of the more influetial Victorians generally led church going lives and lived by a high standard of etiquette.
Anything outside of that strata of etiquette would have been considered unacceptable and so social change would have deemed previously acceptable terms, no longer acceptable.
There is an interesting article about swear words here.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A753527
For instance some words that were used 40 years ago by white people to describe black people are no longer acceptable, but many years ago not many would have batted an eyelid at some of the now taboo phrases. This is a result of a change in social attitudes.
Many of the more influetial Victorians generally led church going lives and lived by a high standard of etiquette.
Anything outside of that strata of etiquette would have been considered unacceptable and so social change would have deemed previously acceptable terms, no longer acceptable.
There is an interesting article about swear words here.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A753527
Dr Johnson famously replied to some ladies who congratulated him on the absence of bad words from his Dictionary " What my dears? Then you have been looking for them!'
Somehow we all know these words. However do even the most innocent among us learn what they are and that they are not to be used?
It is all a cultural matter. The Victorians were censorious of any words which they thought blasphemous but nowadays few would wince at 'Good God!' as an exclamation.
Somehow we all know these words. However do even the most innocent among us learn what they are and that they are not to be used?
It is all a cultural matter. The Victorians were censorious of any words which they thought blasphemous but nowadays few would wince at 'Good God!' as an exclamation.
The use of 'strong' language - what a nonsensical term that is, what, as opposed to 'weak' language - is like all language a metter of evolution.
Language evolves through usage, translation, popularity, and effect, whcih is why almost all obscenities are single-syllable words which can be spat out with some force.
Interestingly, the word 'ni**er' when used to describe a black person as an inferior has been re-claimed by black culture and used as a term of affection to remove the power of it as an insult. That said, it is highly unwise for a white person to attempt to ingratiate themselves with a group of black people by using it - it does not go down well!
Language evolves through usage, translation, popularity, and effect, whcih is why almost all obscenities are single-syllable words which can be spat out with some force.
Interestingly, the word 'ni**er' when used to describe a black person as an inferior has been re-claimed by black culture and used as a term of affection to remove the power of it as an insult. That said, it is highly unwise for a white person to attempt to ingratiate themselves with a group of black people by using it - it does not go down well!
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