Why do we Curse Words? Especially When We are Emotional?

Factual Questions
1

I have alway wondered about this?

Where did cuss words come from in the first place an who decided what word is a cuss word and what criteria did they use to determine if it should be a cuss word?

Did someone say “f*ck” and someone said “man, that sounds dirty” then poof it is now considered profanity?

And why do we cuss when we are angry and or in pain? Even people that don’t cuss usually use profanity when they hurt themselves or real angry? Why? Because we saw are parents do it or what?

2

Cuss/curse words typically involve anatomical functions. Why? Because those are considered obscene. Your waste that you excrete smells nasty and so is unappealing, so what better terms to use for disgust? Similarly, sexual function has for some reason achieved the perception of impolite.

Okay, so why do we use these impolite terms to express disgust, anger, and other extreme emotions? It has to to with shock factor. When you’re really worked up, you want to express to the world just how bad you feel. So you use a word that makes them react with shock. To the Victorians, saying “breast” would be enough. However, our open society has made the offensive commonplace, and losing it’s power. So we have to strive harder to find truly offensive words.

There may be a component of it that is learned through watching adults and then duplicated.

3

Irishman,

Thank you that does make sense. Especially the part about body waste and sex functions. Most “dirty” words are based on those “functions” or “parts” of those things. The rest of have to do with religious implication.

Thanks. At first I didn’t think I was going to get an answer on this question.

I still wonder how the word “f*ck” originated? And why was it considered dirty while copulate or intercourse is not?

4

http://www.jimgeary.com/scrab/CGPFAQ.HTM#QQ8

Two potential etymologies, plus a book recommendation.

5

I whipped that damn Search Engine into submission. Whoo Hoooo!

:ahem:

OK, I knew I had posted this before.

6

Cecil Adams on What’s the origin of the “F” word?

7

I’ve been hurt pretty badly, WB, and I still don’t curse. I think if you don’t use swear words in any way, you’re not likely to when you’re hurt. And my father used to swear like ‘a sailor’, but then again he WAS one, so I guess he had it coming to him legally! :wink:

8

This is probably in all those links. I dunno, I didn’t take time to read them, which means other people probably didnt either, so I’ll say it here anyway.

Many English curse words are the Anglo-Saxon terms for various bodily fuctions. Then the French invaded, and the dominant, elite culture demanded the use of words with Latin roots.

So the Angles were forced to say, for instance, ‘copulate’ instead of ‘fuck,’ which was their perfectly ordinary word for having sex.

Of course, the demands of the elite didn’t really work out that well, and the Anglo-Saxon words lived on as “impolite” words.

The other swear words tend to cast doubt on a person’s parentage; e.g. son of a bitch, bastard, bitch (a female dog, y’know.)

–John