why are bad words bad words?

Question

how did bad words get started? some one woke up one day and said
**** is a bad word from now on? i doubt it.

Answer 1

I doubt it too. But note that your scenario depends on some ONE person making such a decision. That truth is that human language rarely works like that. It is a SOCIAL activity, and the development of meanings as well as the idea that certain words are appropriate or not (for particular social settings) is a decision made by SOCIETY, and tied up with complex human interactions in that society. And so, it is by social AGREEMENT that words have their meanings and uses. . and that includes what is a "bad word".


Beware of the assumption many seem to make that a word is "JUST a set of sounds". In practice we all know this is not so. It is part of a system -- human language-- and IN that system (for the system to WORK) it must have a meaning.

Think about it: What makes ANY word "good" or "bad" ? It is all based on the agreed upon meaning of the word in the particular language--the very thing that makes language possible.

So it's not making the sounds themselves that is at issue, nor is it (usually) about what's in one particular person's head. It is that you CHOOSE to make sounds (that is, speak a word) that you KNOW are used to convey that particular meaning in the language you are speaking.


In other words, if someone chooses to use a "bad word" BECAUSE they understand that this linguistic symbol has been agreed on as a way to express something offensive. (So it usually isn't correct to say "it is offensive because the listener chose to take offense". No, ordinarily, the SPEAKER chose the word --whether in a moment of anger or after some consideration, precisely with the intent of expressing something offensive.)

I'm sure you know this, or you would calmly, even joyfully, cuss out a small child or someone you love deeply.

In the same way, "Fire!" is just a set of sounds too -- but if you holler it, willy-nilly, in a crowded theater, it will have an effect for which you are morally, and probably legally, answerable.

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The point, to get back to where I started, is that language is a SOCIAL activity -- to work, it depends on people's sharing an understanding of what the symbols will mean.

And so, we don't simply pick an arbitrary word (or 'set of sounds') and claim "well *I* meant something ELSE by it". This would make communication utterly impossible!


My favorite illustration of this point comes from *Alice through the Looking Glass*:

""There's glory for you!"
"I don't know what you mean by 'glory,' " Alice said.
Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. "Of course you don't—till I tell you. I meant 'there's a nice knock-down argument for you!' "
"But 'glory' doesn't mean 'a nice knock-down argument,' " Alice objected.
"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less."
"The question is, " said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things."
"The question is," said Humpty Dumpty. "which is to be master—that's all.""
http://www.wordspy.com/words/HumptyDumptylanguage.asp

Answer 2

It's a cultural thing and may vary world-wide. There are two reasons why bad words are bad. The first is blasphemy and comes from biblical admonitions. It's the use of words related to religion outside the context of religion. Religious people have declared these usages improper and that has become part of the culture. The second reason is vulgarity. It is interesting to note that the word "vulgar" came from a Latin root meaning common, or of or for the people. Thus the Vulgate Bible was the first Latin edition. Today, "vulgar" means common in a negative sense. Cultured, refined people are not supposed to use these terms and their use indicates that the speaker is from a "lower class." So words like defecate, urinate, penis, vagina, and sexual intercourse are preferred. Some people think that this is unnecessary prudery and that the use of vulgar, blasphemous, and slang words helps spice up the language. My grandmother told me that prudery was so common when she was growing up in the late 1800's and early 1900's, words like rooster, hen, stallion, and mare were only supposed to be used by men and only in the company of other men. The acceptable terms for ladies or mixed company were gentleman and lady chicken and gentleman or lady horse!

Answer 3

Some words started as regular words but along the line some people thought it was inapropriate to say in public. Some words are offensive depending on how you use them and thats what makes them bad, like I can say the f word all day long but when my four year old is around its a bad word.

Answer 4

As children, we are usually introduced to the concept of a bad word because an
adult hits us or yells at us when we say one. "Don't say that! That's a bad word!",
*SMACK*! There's nothing like an open handed slap to the mouth to convince a
small child to adopt your point of view. Even when it's a view based on ignorance,
prejudice, and complete stupidity. Of course, the only thing this really teaches the
child is that you'll treat it like **** if it says any of these bad words. It doesn't
explain exactly WHY the word is bad, or exactly WHAT is bad about it. There's a
simple reason for this, and that is the fact that there is NO SUCH *******
THING AS A BAD WORD!!!!!

Answer 5

Sometimes I find it is all in the presentation of the word. Some may say it one way and not even be acknowledged, while another may be reprimanded for saying the exact same words but presenting them in a different way.

Answer 6

They are told with obvious hatred, disrespect. I think our conscous tells us that something is wrong. I really don't know why putting your middle finger up, saying F#$@, or saying S#^@ or saying D#^@ is bad but I do know that it is partially because of the disrespect shown when it is said. It did start with saying God's name in vain. In fact, did you know that every culture using Jesus Christ as a curse word but none use any other name for a diety as a curse word.

Answer 7

Most "bad" words are very, very old. In the Victorian era, a lot of emphasis was placed on being proper. Certain topics, like sex and defecation, were not appropriate to discuss. Words for these became taboo, and today are still considered to be bad.

Answer 8

Good question. And I know what you mean by the 4-star word. It's the word people claim to mean poo. Anyways, I don't know. Maybe they started calling people that & some1 said "what's that?" and they said something bad.

Answer 9

Sometimes it's a case of politics. These bad words, as you call them, may have been perfectly normal words in some cultures that then were dominated by other, "higher class" cultures. They became profane by being "low", as in spoken by low-status people.

Answer 10

Cause in the old days people would say sh**,fu**,da** ect ect and they were not "kuss words" but then ppl started using them as racail slur and stuff like that so they become forbidden words aka kuss words...There ya have the truth