We all know what "bad
words" are. Unlike most other language rules, we learn about swearwords and how
to use them without any real study or classroom instruction. Even very young
children know which words are naughty, although they don’t always know exactly
what those words mean. But swearwords aren’t quite as simple as
they seem. They’re paradoxical-saying them is taboo in nearly every culture, but
instead of avoiding them as with other taboos, people use them. Most associate
swearing with being angry or frustrated, but people swear for a number of
reasons and in a variety of situations. Origin and Varieties
of Swearwords Virtually every language in every culture in
the world has its own unique swearwords. Even different dialects of the same
language can have different expletives. The very first languages probably
included swearwords, but since writing evolved after speaking did, there’s no
record of who said the first swearword or what that word was. Because of the
taboos surrounding it, written language histories also include few records of
the origins of swearing. Even today, many dictionaries don’t include profanity,
and comparatively few studies have examined swearing. Most
researchers agree that swearing came from early forms of word magic. Studies of
modern, non-literate cultures suggest that swearwords came from the belief that
spoken words have power. Some cultures, especially ones that have not developed
a written language, believe that spoken words can curse or bless people or can
otherwise affect the world. This leads to the idea that some words are either
very good or very bad. In the Western, English-speaking world,
people from every race, class and level of education swear. In America, 72
percent of men and 58 percent of women swear in public. The same is true for 74
percent of 18 to 34 year olds and 48 percent of people who are over age 55.
Numerous language researchers report that men swear more than women, but studies
that focus on women’s use of language theorize that women’s swearing is simply
more context specific, So why do so many people swear We’ll look at how
swearing works in relationships and social interactions next. Why People Swear In early childhood, crying is an
acceptable way to show emotion and relieve stress and anxiety. As children,
(especially boys) grow up, Western society discourages them from crying,
particularly in public. People still need an outlet for strong emotions, and
that’s where swearing often comes in. A lot of people think of
swearing as an instinctive response to something painful and unexpected (like
hitting your head on an open cabinet door) or something frustrating and
upsetting (like being stuck in traffic on the way to a job interview). This is
one of the most common uses for swearing, and many researchers believe that it
helps relieve stress and blow off steam, like crying does for small
children. Beyond angry or upset words said in the heat of the
moment, swearing does a lot of work in social interactions. In the past,
researchers have theorized that men swear to create a masculine identity and
women swear to be more like men. More recent studies, however, theorize that
women swear in part because they are emulating women they admire.
In addition, the use of particular expletives can. ※
Establish a group identity ※ Establish membership in a group and
maintain the group’s boundaries ※ Express solidarity with other
people ※ Express trust and intimacy (mostly when women swear in
the presence of other women) ※ Add humor, emphasis or "shock
value" ※ Attempt to camouflage a person’s fear or
insecurity People also swear because they feel they are expected
to or because swearing has become a habit. But it doesn’t mean it’s socially
acceptable or even legal just because swearing plays all these roles. In the
next sections, we’ll look at social and legal responses to swearing. Social Responses to Swearing All languages have
swearwords, but the words that are considered expletives and the social
attitudes toward them change over time. In many languages, words that used to be
taboo are now commonplace and other words have taken their place as obscenities.
In American English, the words currently considered to be the most vulgar and
offensive have existed for hundreds of years. Their designation as obscenities,
however, took place largely during and after the 1800s. In fact, the use of the
word "dirty" to describe words arose in the 19th century, as did the word
"profanity". Most languages also have a hierarchy of swearwords
— some words are mildly offensive ,while others are nearly unspeakable. This
hierarchy usually has more to do with a society’s attitude toward the word than
what the word actually means. Some words that describe extremely vulgar acts
aren’t thought of as swearwords at all. In English-speaking countries, however,
many people avoid using racial slurs to swear for fear of appearing racist.
Women also tend to avoid the use of expletives that relate to the female sexual
anatomy out of the belief that the words contain an element of sexism.
Western society generally views swearing as more appropriate for men than
for women. Women who swear appear to violate more societal taboos than men who
swear. People also tend to judge women more harshly than men for their use of
obscenities. Society in general can also make moral judgments about women who
swear and use non-standard English. In general, women also believe swearwords
are more powerful and express more guilt about using them than men do. Swearing and the Law Just as cultures have
different attitudes toward swearing and people who swear, they also have
different laws governing people’s use of expletives. The Constitution of the
United States guarantees that people have the right to freedom of speech in the
First Amendment. The First Amendment applies specifically to Congress and the
federal government, including the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Courts generally interpret that it also applies to state governments.
So at first glance, it seems like people should be able to swear whenever
they want and wherever they want because of their First Amendment rights.
However, constitutional law can be tricky, and a wealth of court cases has led
to a wide variety of judgments surrounding swearing. Obscenity generally falls
into the category of unprotected speech — speech that is exempt from to the
First Amendment rule. Other types of unprotected speech include:
※ Language that incites people to violence or illegal activity
※ Libel and defamation ※ Threats ※ False
advertising The unprotected speech exclusion is one of the
reasons why the FCC can create and enforce decency rules for broadcast
television and radio. In addition to obscenity, court cases have
examined the use of swearing in the contexts of inciting people to violence,
defamation and threats. They have generally ruled that the government does not
have the right to prevent blasphemy against a specific religion or to prosecute
someone solely for the use of an expletive. On the other hand, they have upheld
convictions of people, who used profanity to incite riots, harass people or
disturb the peace. The First Amendment doesn’t generally apply
to private organizations, and it has significantly less influence over
businesses and schools. Courts frequently rule that organizations have the right
to set and enforce their own standards of behavior and judgment. In addition,
numerous sexual harassment cases have involved reports of swearing, and some
courts have ruled that it creates a hostile environment and constitutes
harassment. Generally, the First Amendment doesn’t apply to ______.