Warning: this entry contains adult language

Warning: I'm telling the truth, this entry contains adult language! My apologies to anyone who will be offended.

(I've tried to make this site an intellectual playground and this is a topic I've thought about on more than one occasion…)

Language fascinates me. I've studied a couple of languages and I must say English is still my favorite. English is so versatile and effective at instilling much significance in just a few words. And the nuances--English has so many shades of meaning and such a rich vocabulary that it will never stop producing poets. Its greatest attribute, however, is the amount of creative license it allows: if no word truly conveys what you're trying to say you can easily create a new word. And we do--thousands of words annually. What a headache it must be to be a lexicographer.

Despite the wealth of possibilities in our language, far too many of us are content to speak the "lowest common denominator." We use the most basic words to say the most basic things, forgetting that our language is full of idiosyncratic vocabulary. The proper usage of words can add untold dimensionality to our speech: whether it's nuances of wit, irony, or sorrow. On the other hand, we can also strip away the fluff of affected speech, leaving it stark and gorgeous. The point is that we decide what words to use, we define our speech.

I don't feel that all parts of language are beautiful. There is a lot of vulgar and hate-filled language (which I find ugly and distasteful). That's not to say, however, that swear words are always vulgar. I was reading a Q & A section of the Guardian Unlimited with comments about swear words. One man, John, mentioned that he can "think of no swear word in English that is not useful and descriptive in its own right." I tend to agree. Every word carries with it a certain emotional charge. Some words are more emotionally-charged than others. Scientific words (like Allium cepa, the red onion) carry almost no emotional charge, while other words (like nigger) are so charged that a person can be killed for using them.

Swear words are the latter type. Because of their emotionally-charged nature and their being descriptive of sexual acts, genitalia, or bodily waste, it's no wonder that they shouldn't come up in polite conversation.

Now, swear words can be applied in two ways: directed or undirected. In a directed sense, swear words become derogative. I believe that's why swearing is so common among sports coaches, who constantly berate their players for mistakes they make. Politicians also are known for their foul mouths--probably because they're used to bossing subordinates around. I think swearing has become part of their occupational persona just as it’s part of the drill sergeant persona: directed swearing shows that you are dangerous and short-tempered.

As I mentioned, swear words can also be undirected. Undirected swear words are used for their emotional charge only: they communicate a passionate state of mind or heavily underscore what is being said. They are not meant derogatorily (though they do imply that the listener is “ok” with their swearing, which can be derogatory depending on the listener’s viewpoint). However, even undirected swearing reflects on the speaker because of its negative social stigma.

A few more items before I get off this subject. First, the terminology we use for swear words is actually misleading. Even though we label all such language “swearing,” in actuality “to swear” means to solemnly declare, invoke, or curse. That would include the words goddamn, damn, and damn it. To “cuss” is just an informal way of saying “curse” which is the same as “swear.” Another term is “profanity,” which is also used as an inclusive term but actually only means irreverent or blasphemous language. That would then include: God, Mother of God, Jesus Christ, or their derivatives. Sexual words and excremental words fall under “vulgar” language—in my opinion.

However for all of these terms none of them is all-inclusive. Personally, I feel “offensive language” is a good blanket term…or “obscenity.” That would include profane language, curses, and vulgar language.

When it comes down to it, though, I still believe that this language has its uses. I love to write. And when you write, you find that there are times when no other word will quite fit the point you’re trying to convey. I can often use a different word choice and do when I can; but there are other times when I cannot convey anguish or anger or agitation without using offensive words. As far as hearing offensive language in everyday conversation: I’d prefer not. Most often, I think it makes the speaker appear low-class and uneducated. However, there are times when swear words can add emotion or poignancy or humor to a phrase (something the British do well).

My favorite obscenity is goddamn.


Additional notes:

Word History: The obscenity fuck is a very old word and has been considered shocking from the first, though it is seen in print much more often now than in the past. Its first known occurrence, in code because of its unacceptability, is in a poem composed in a mixture of Latin and English sometime before 1500. The poem, which satirizes the Carmelite friars of Cambridge, England, takes its title, “Flen flyys,” from the first words of its opening line, “Flen, flyys, and freris,” that is, “fleas, flies, and friars.” The line that contains fuck reads “Non sunt in coeli, quia gxddbov xxkxzt pg ifmk.” The Latin words “Non sunt in coeli, quia,” mean “they [the friars] are not in heaven, since.” The code “gxddbov xxkxzt pg ifmk” is easily broken by simply substituting the preceding letter in the alphabet, keeping in mind differences in the alphabet and in spelling between then and now: i was then used for both i and j; v was used for both u and v; and vv was used for w. This yields “fvccant [a fake Latin form] vvivys of heli.” The whole thus reads in translation: “They are not in heaven because they fuck wives of Ely [a town near Cambridge].”

Anyone interested in reading an absolutely fascinating discussion on the history of obscenities should take a look at Bill Bryson’s The Mother Tongue, which includes an entire chapter on the topic.