Non-PG13 (Strong Language): What Makes A Bad Word A Bad Word?

[Fabrication]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this so if mods need to move it that's fine

I was just wondering what makes a bad word, a bad word. Like take the s-word or the f-word. What makes them so bad to say? Did someone long ago just say "Ok we are going to make these words not acceptable to say"?

[Paix et Amour]

basically all that made them bad was the way people have decided to use them. for example - saying a random word as an insult to someone wouldnt be considered bad, right? but if everyone else started using that as an insult or something like that, then eventually the word would become that. it would gain the meaning of what you use the insult for. the first time someone said fuck you, i would assume it meant nothing :P

[Silhouette]

Society kind of made it that way. Some curse words are too mature for people under 13 too.

[OMFG!You'reActuallySmart!]

The words refer to certain things that society deems inappropriate to point out. For example, feces isn't a pleasant thing, although "feces" is the appropriate word since it is not used in an offensive way. On the other hand, "shit" is more vulgar and offensive. Other swear words are offensive slang of body parts, such as, "cunt". The word, "fuck" has numerous meanings, I think the original one was a slang offensive term for sex.

Point is, the words are offensive slang society does not approve of, so it discourages their usage. Other words can be offensive but approved of by society. For example, "idiot" used to be approved of and even used in psychiatry. Later, a special education school was made called "School For Idiots". In modern times, "idiot" is less approved of but doesn't generate the same disapproval as saying, "fuck", "cunt" or "shit". http://caslater.freeservers.com/disability4.htm

There are also words that are not swear words at all yet are deemed offensive. For example, "retard" is deemed offensive in the English language but in French, it means "late". If you wanted to say, "I was late for school", you'd say, "J'etais en retard pour l'ecole", ignoring the accents. So words like "retard" can be offensive in English because their meaning is altered from being physically late to being mentally late.

But no, there was no group of people who sat down and said, "hey, let's make up some swear words".

[Hallelujah]

Originally Posted by The Man And XX Master

For example, "retard" is deemed offensive in the English language but in French, it means "late". If you wanted to say, "I was late for school", you'd say, "J'etais en retard pour l'ecole", ignoring the accents. So words like "retard" can be offensive in English because their meaning is altered from being physically late to being mentally late.

This one always raised a giggle from the less mature students in my French classes when I was at school. I think it highlights the point that the words are what we make them. I've been called a number of 4 letter words by friends, but they've carried no inflection and therefore have caused no offence. I personally don't take much offence when people swear, whether at me or in general, although I think it's vulgar when people take it to extremes and you have to figure out what the actual sentence is beneath all the obscenities.

I imagine if I decided that I would spontaneously begin to use "Doughnut" as a derogatory word for homosexual and gave it enough venom, people would be offended....

[Cataclysmic]

Society kind of made it that way, but it also depends on the person you are with. My parents won't allow me to swear (not that I don't when no adult is around) but she lets me say 'crap', 'heck', 'stupid', etc. Some teachers let us say the words I mentioned, and will even say damn and hell themselves, but others won't let us. It depends on society and people's opinions, and how the word is used. And some words used to have good meanings but people turned them bad. Like gay, for example. It used to mean happy and now people are always like "That's gay," etc. And ass is for donkey but yet people call each other asses.

Sorry if that made no sense whatsoever. xD

[WillO'Wisp]

A word intended for insulting somebody, or something pessimistic and negative. Negativity is bad words to me. If you can't say anything nice or positive, don't say anything at all

[Glitter.]

I don't think it's the word that's bad.. but more the meaning behind the word. I could say shit all day.. but does that mean it's bad, or just offensive? I feel like saying something like: this shit is fucked up, would imply something bad. It would envoke negative emotion, thus making it bad. People often use bad words as a way of expressing their emotions. Which, generally are negative. But if I say something like "I'm so fucking happy", would that mean something bad.? Sometimes when we use bad words, we're also trying to express it's importance. I really think that the way in which a word is used is what makes it bad or not.

[ARTPOP]

Just the context which we say it I think.

For example if I said
"Look at that chicken!" about a chicken at a farm, it's not rude.

However

"Look at that chicken" about a peer who refuses to do a dare, its classed as rude.

But I guess the F word, Two C's and the S have just become accosiated with rude and or offensive language.

[MegaMadness]

I think it all depends on context aswell.

[LlamaLlamaDuck]

Originally Posted by Eremophobia

I imagine if I decided that I would spontaneously begin to use "Doughnut" as a derogatory word for homosexual and gave it enough venom, people would be offended....

I dare you.

In answer to the question, though. Society can make anything into anything. If people started calling a horse a rabbit, then eventually it'd catch on and in a few years time, kids wouldn't know the difference.

[NikkiAnne]

Originally Posted by WillO'Wisp

A word intended for insulting somebody, or something pessimistic and negative. Negativity is bad words to me. If you can't say anything nice or positive, don't say anything at all

i second this. if your only gonna say insulting words, then just dont bother talking at all