I came to an interesting point while lost in the pit of thought.
Have you ever just picked apart ’swear words.’ Words are just words when it all comes down to it. ‘Shit’ was just an abbreviated warning stamped onto bags of fertilizer, “Ship High In Transpot.” “Fuck” comes from the german word ‘Frichen’ which means to strike.
Another supposed origin of the word comes from the time when british criminals were shipped off to australia, the country’s penal colony. If a man had raped a woman his paperwork would be filled out, “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge.” Eventually this was abbreviated.
Have you ever wondered why people use ‘Jesus Christ’ to swear? Why does one not shout ‘Buddha!’ or ‘Muhammad!’ when they’re surprised or angry?
Is it just the sounds of these words that make them vulgar? The fact that they have that harsh melody to them? Maybe people say Jesus because its so frowned upon, and a lot of the world was catholic or christian at some point. As kids we’re made to feel dirty when we say them. Its interesting what impact words can have.
Historically, swear-words always alluded to some kind of social ‘taboo.’ Whether it be a linguistin reference to fecal matter, or Jesus Christ, doesn’t seem to make a difference. The point is that it’s inappropriate, and thus makes you seem ‘bold’ if you say it. Kind of like being a rebel. It’s silly, in a way.
Some people say it would be a better world if people swore less. But if you think it through, you realize that there always has to be a few words that are unacceptable. Doesn’t matter what they are, what they mean, or what they refer to. People just need ‘bad words’ for extreme circumstances. They’re a vital part of communication. Although, I’ll agree that they get overused, and even abused.
But I wish people wouldn’t be offended by them. I agree with what you say: often it’s just the cacophonoy of the word that makes is so easy to say. I suppose, we should all make an effort to swear less.
Indeed. Even if swear words were outlawed or everyone simply stopped saying them, they would still be words used in a harsh tone with seemingly less meaning behind them, but still the same when you get down to it. Like when people say “frig” instead of “fuck.” Doesnt it mean the same thing, as they intend to use it in the same context? Is it more innocent?