Where do curse words in the English language originate from?

Answer 1

Most of them were the original Anglo-Saxon words for the concepts that they describe. 'Anglo-Saxon' is another word for 'Old English'. Most languages similar to English (Dutch, German, Scandinavian languages) have similar words - in some cases taboo, in some cases freely accepted. Most Anglo-Saxon documents freely use these words with no sense that they are in any way 'inappropriate'.

Mostly, the sense of 'four-letter words' as curse words developed after 1066, when England was conquered by the Normans. The upper classes would speak French and the peasants would speak English. Thus, French came to be seen as 'refined' and English as 'common'. So a lot of true Anglo-Saxon words developed a sense of being 'unclean'.

It's interesting to remember, the next time you get angry at someone for using 'bad language', that your comments actually are the result of hundreds of years of linguistic discrimination!

Answer 2

$#!T came as a result of ships transporting animal waste fertilizer in the lower holds. Gasses would build up in the unventilated area causing the ship to explode. As a result the words Store High In Transit were placed in the containers. Later just the letters S.H.I.T were used.

Answer 3

I've heard one: When a woman slept with a man outside of marriage back in the days when the punishment was being put in the stocks, an acromym was posted above her head to name her crime. It stood for: For Unlawful Carnal Knowlege.

Answer 4

In response to pain, frustration, and being to ignorant to express ones self with out them.

Answer 5

When they started building their houses and hit their thumb