Re: Swearing in other cultures (was Langmaker.com and...)

Quoting Benct Philip Jonsson <bpj@...>:

> Sally Caves wrote:
> > Some of the most interesting swear words come from right across our border,
> > here in Upstate.  I never thought that the words for "host" or "tabernacle"
> > could be so injurious in French-Canadian sectors when used out of their
> > contexts.
> >
> > But I can understand it: in Middle English, the worst swear words were
> > religious: 'zounds, coming from "God's wounds," "'sblood," etc.  To refer
> > lightly to Christ's torment on the cross was to add to it, and commit
> > blasphemy.
> >
> > Sally
>
> In Hindi the worst insult is to call someone _sálá_ "wife's brother"
> because it implies "I've f*cked your sister".  Thus the word has
> to be used with discretion even when speaking of one's actual
> brothers-in-law!
Possibly a linguistic urban myth, but I heard that in parts of China, the
ultimate insult is to tell someone "I'm your father", which of course implies
"I fucked your mother". I suppose they were much amused by Star Wars.

                                                          Andreas

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