Futurama Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 First things first : this is kind of a grey area so lets keep this topic squeeky clean. that means no censor dodging =o Weird thought just hit me. What makes a swear word a swear word? How come when there's two words which mean the same thing, one can be so much worse than the other? And what makes a word so strong that parents slap their kids just for uttering it under their breath? Discuss. =) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knives669 Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 I don't know. I guess all that makes a swear word a "bad" word is based on what is accepted by society. Some are demeaning and degrading, and some have been proven to provoke emotions. But, afterall, it's just a word. I personally, think the whole concept of "swearing" is wierd anyway. I'd like to see other's viewpoints on this as topic as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 actually "swearing" isnt bad because good and bad dont exist its all a mater of opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
logic-is-overrated Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 I don't see why some words are considered swear words. If you get mad and say "crap" and somebody else gets mad and says "the 4 letter word that starts with s and ends with it" then you both got mad and used a word to express your anger. Both words mean the same thing and are used in the same way yet somehow one is worse than the other? I tell you it makes no sense to me. This is the way the world ends. Look at this [bleep]ing shit we're in man. Not with a bang, but with a whimper. And with a whimper, I'm splitting, Jack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevester77 Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 Swear words were never born swear words, rather they were crafted into them by society. Picture this: your already angry because your day has been pretty crummy thus far when suddenly, already at wits end, you stub your toe on a door and say a random word such as "natusa" (it isn't really a word.. rather it is a new word that will become a swear word). Because of the manner you used it in (ie. in a rage) people automatically associate the word with a extremely enraged man. Then next week, while out shopping, you see a worker at a pottery store accidentally drop a vase... in responce, he shouts out "natusa". Once again, people see the word being used in a derogatory manner and pretty soon, they deem the word to be "bad". A good example of this is the "n" word for africans.. it was for a while, perfectly fine and they would be perfectly fine with being called that. Then, over time, your random racist would say something along the lines of "you stupid, bloody n". Now that its being used in a derogatory way, who wants to be called the n word? Regardless though how they are formed, I won't be saying them anytime soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runesmithie Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 Adding onto stevester's post, I think swear words will go out one by one sometime soon and we'll have all new swears to replace them :? It's just a word in my opinion and I don't see why people get so enraged about them, when if I said it then I was obviously thinking about some emotion that made me say it... I just posted something! ^_^ to the terrorist...er... kirbybeam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomato Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 I don't really have much of a problem with any vocabulary. Personally, I rarely ever cuss(NEVER the F-word), just because I find different ways to express emotion. However, I can not STAND the people who constantly cuss in an attempt to look cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insane Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 It's what the words stand for. I think in the case of English, which is made up of latin and anglo-saxon I think? The latin people were stuck-up and thought the the anglo-saxons were dumb, so the anglo-saxon words for things done in secret (having sex [f word], excrementing, etc) became the "bad words". Usually the words meanings have very bad connotations to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demeige Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 If it's considered a derrogatory term most of the time it's a swear word. However many curses are just a real non-offensive word that was somehow turned inside out and turned into an insult. for example [synonym for cigarrete] would be a homosexual person. my analogies are 1337 How does a profession differ from an occupation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
How2PK Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 I don't see why some words are considered swear words. If you get mad and say "crap" and somebody else gets mad and says "the 4 letter word that starts with s and ends with it" then you both got mad and used a word to express your anger. Both words mean the same thing and are used in the same way yet somehow one is worse than the other? I tell you it makes no sense to me. I think I can agree with that. :) I don't really care about swearing, I swear if I want to swear in real life. I just know when I can't swear, for example when I'm having little kids around me or when I'm at work or w/e formal occasion. Signature by Maurice SendakWhen the stars make you drool just like a pasta fazool, that's amore! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunli Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 Interesting topic! :D Please keep it clean though :wink: - "I am willing to die...I mean try" - Jewelfire (Want to go bossing?) -"we tried, we cried and we died!" - Limparse (What happens to old farts and tarts on monster-hunts) - "...and we found out that there are as many ways to get to warriors guild ...as there are elders trying to get there" - Lysi *snods agely* sorry... *nods sagely* - Brammy -"Equality is being treated the SAME as everyone else; not having special treatment and unique things added in to everything." - Sy_Accursed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adthegreat- Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 My thought is why do people with Tourette's Syndrome always shout out swear words? As stevester said, swear words are not natural, they are socially constructed, so why do they go hand in hand with a medical illness like tourettes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assassin_696 Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 I think a swear word is called such because it has another meaning. They're basically slang for already quite rude/dirty/unclean words. A lot of words considered swear words say 50 years ago, are pretty much acceptable now. Who knows, in years to come we may be using the "f" word in everyday conversation, or we may not. I don't have a problem with swearing, unless it's overly excessive and completely out of place. Like Madonna at Live 8, it just didn't work, and sounded...wrong. "Da mihi castitatem et continentam, sed noli modo" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomato Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 My thought is why do people with Tourette's Syndrome always shout out swear words? As stevester said, swear words are not natural, they are socially constructed, so why do they go hand in hand with a medical illness like tourettes? Actually regarding people with Tourette's, shouting out swear rudes is extremely rare. In most cases, they just say nonsense words. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lionheart_0 Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 :( Its just the same as todays society as there is a taboo on some things, there are a taboo on swear words as well. Lets take being overwait (i dotn mean to the point of like 300 lbs, but lets say around 180 at the age of lets say 17). Society has placed a taboo (not a real taboo more of just a dislike towards those people) and people try to stay away from this. There really is not problem with being a littel overwait (im not and i stillt hink this), yet its disliked in socity. Its the same as swearing. In reality there is nothing wrong wtih swearing because, its not really bad, its just a word, a sounds that escapes your mouth. Are we gonna start tabooing crying one day because it becomes offensive or annoys some people? Perhaps (i doubt it though). really, people say the words becuase they are bad, if they werent bad, people probably wouldnt start saying them. Sig by IkuraiYour Guide to Posting! Behave or I will send my Moose mounted Beaver launchers at you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubsa Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 My thought is why do people with Tourette's Syndrome always shout out swear words? As stevester said, swear words are not natural, they are socially constructed, so why do they go hand in hand with a medical illness like tourettes? Actually regarding people with Tourette's, shouting out swear rudes is extremely rare. In most cases, they just say nonsense words. I think, and I may be totally wrong on this, that people with Tourette's shout out things that what are considered to be totally inappropiate, because they can't resist the urge to, where most people can. There was a TV program the other day about children with Tourette's and when they visited New York, they couldn't help but shout out "Twin Towers" etc. So swear words, which people consider inappropiate in many public places, like schools, could be shouted out by people with Tourette's. Personally, I don't swear much as I know some people will get offended. I wouldn't be if someone did, but just because I don't think I'd be offended doesn't mean I can disregard what other people think. I'll only swear when I really want to stress an emotion, like happiness or (most of the time :P) anger. That way, people will know that I mean what I'm saying because I don't use the words often. This is how much you all raised for charity. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRealist Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 I have a terrible habit with swearing :cry: Blah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zippi08 Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 actually "swearing" isnt bad because good and bad dont exist its all a mater of opinion. Of course good and bad exists. If a person decides it's good to kill someone, you know it's wrong and bad, it's not just a matter of opinion. I used to think it was stupid to swear, so I basically never swore, and when I did I probably just used some "lighter" swear words. I didn't like the word f*** at all. Now I hear it so often that it's just a word in my everyday life and I will probably start using it automatically, because many people around me use it. Thanks for the sig, Runesmithie :)RIP Steve Irwin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AThousandLies Posted January 15, 2006 Share Posted January 15, 2006 My thought is why do people with Tourette's Syndrome always shout out swear words? As stevester said, swear words are not natural, they are socially constructed, so why do they go hand in hand with a medical illness like tourettes? Actually, that's not really Tourette's ... it's called Coprolahlia (excuse the spelling, I think that's incredibly off). Tourette's involves random ticks and vocal expressions (very rarely words). I have Tourette's, and in my case I often nod my head rapidly, crack my jaw, shake my head, clear my throat, make a light grunt or exhale suddenly. It changes from time to time, but to my knowledge, Tourette's is not associated with swearing. Coprolahlia and Tourrette's are both similar in their affect, but have no direct genetic link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Putter Posted January 15, 2006 Share Posted January 15, 2006 I don't ever swear out in pain. Because I'm invincible. But I've no problem with people swearing, unless it's around children. But not really because it will hurt the child. But they might pick it up, and use it around an adult and then get chastisted. I very rarely swear at all really...I usually only use it when quoting something, or for comic effect...I donno why. Swears are funny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jabraulter Posted January 15, 2006 Share Posted January 15, 2006 All of the swear words are 'bad' because of what they once meant. The middle finger in America became bad because during some war, can't remember which, the Americans (I think, maybe not) would cut off the middle finger of their captured enemies. When they were then charging at the rest of the enemy, they would wave their middle finger at them as sort of mocking them. S.H.I.T. is an acronym used during the Columbian Exchange. It stood for Slaves Held In Transit. Basically, slaves were being shipped to America to work on the plantations. Then there's hell which derives from the Bible. A [bleep] is a female dog. (I don't know how this became a 'bad' word, whatever). A bastard is a child with no father. The N word, we all know... ------ Swear words became bad words because their original DEnotation was bad, thus it's CONnotation became bad as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 15, 2006 Share Posted January 15, 2006 Swear words are swear words because that is how the public percieves them to be. So in actual fact its what society thinks is a swear word which makes it bad. That is why some people get offended by some swear words while others may not care and use them in everyday life to express themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaklumen Posted January 15, 2006 Share Posted January 15, 2006 actually "swearing" isnt bad because good and bad dont exist its all a mater of opinion. Sorry, I don't believe in moral relativism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunli Posted January 15, 2006 Share Posted January 15, 2006 actually "swearing" isnt bad because good and bad dont exist its all a mater of opinion. Sorry, I don't believe in moral relativism. Ditto that!^ Moral relativism is for me just a way to try to avoid taking responsibility for your own actions. "Hey! This isnt bad in my eyes - thats why its ok!" - "I am willing to die...I mean try" - Jewelfire (Want to go bossing?) -"we tried, we cried and we died!" - Limparse (What happens to old farts and tarts on monster-hunts) - "...and we found out that there are as many ways to get to warriors guild ...as there are elders trying to get there" - Lysi *snods agely* sorry... *nods sagely* - Brammy -"Equality is being treated the SAME as everyone else; not having special treatment and unique things added in to everything." - Sy_Accursed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vmser Posted January 15, 2006 Share Posted January 15, 2006 How come when there's two words which mean the same thing, one can be so much worse than the other? Would be stupid to have 2 words with the exact same meaning aye? And if there's two terms, there will always be one that is considered worse. When it becomes commonly accepted it is worse, it will be used to express ALOT worse. And end up being interpreted like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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