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 do not exist outside of context. You can’t say “tree” without first pointing to a tree (see: preschool books).
So, there are certain words that are generally used in a *vulgar* context, and it’s that vulgar context that gives the words their taboo.
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