Why do we have words that we “aren’t supposed to say”? What decides what makes a swear word a bad word?
It can’t be meaning, because “poop” is fine and
“shit” is not. Or “sex” or “ruin” is fine, but “fuck” is not.
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Words’ meaning and connotation exists in many different forms over the years. They grow, they change, they have impact, they lose impact.
For some of the most popular words, there is a documentary on Netflix called “the history of swear words” narrated by Nicholas Cage with commendation by linguists, comedians, and activists. It was a funny and thoughtful way to explain why certain words have the impact they do and why certain communities “reclaim” those words.
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