Re: Profane?
| From: | John Cowan <cowan@...> |
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| Date: | Monday, June 18, 2001, 3:31 |
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Danny Wier scripsit:
> The general process of how a word becomes "vulgar" (a taboo word is pretty much
> the same thing): the "dirty word" was usually a "legitimate" word, and political
> correctness demands a softer, gentler euphemism. Like how we went from Old
> English _scitan_ to Modern English "go potty"...
"But that *never* works!"
-- Rocket J. Squirrel
Such terms inevitably become taboo in their turn. In Larry Niven's future,
"Censor you!" is extremely insulting, and "futz" has taken on the
conversational role of [banned in NZ].
--
John Cowan cowan@ccil.org
One art/there is/no less/no more/All things/to do/with sparks/galore
--Douglas Hofstadter