Why are curse words curse words?

Question

i mean, they are just words, aren't they? they aren't any worse than some other words, so why were the a, b, f, etc, words chosen to be curse words? like the b word is just a female dog? why was that turned into a curse word?

Answer 1

The female dog word is used to insult women, so is a curse word.

Other curse words are about sexual acts or bodily functions, used again to call a person a name. Therefore a curse word.  

Answer 2

You are right who turned into a curse word

is it  fixed in a dictionary

or any thing like has been introduced

Answer 3

Point taken. The origin of the term profane (curse words) can be taken from the Latin term, profanus, meaning outside the temple. Anything that's not allowed inside a temple or deemed desecrating whether it be through INTENT, GESTURES, or WORDS is considered profane by the religious elite also by people of prestige and of high status since religion had a rich influence to the masses.  You can make the connection then that this has been passed over to the next generations as being well mannered not to curse or use any profanity.

Intent ... you made a point earlier that the b word is nothing more than a female dog. Although that is literary true .. the context is not the same. The b word is not referring to the female canine (dog) but its intent is to demean a human being and compare her behavior to a dog or worse. That's when it become profane .. a vulgar, a desecration of God's greatest creation, a curse word ...

Of course, these days is different. Profanity, vulgar, and bad manners are everywhere and have become the norm. We even see hypocrisy in our adults that it's more okay for them to curse than it is for a child - who by the way always looks up to the adults for guidance and nurturing. And we make the connection that anyone who's well mannered are either a snob, a r****d, or g*y. And yet we sometimes stop and wonder whatever happened to our society. That's just how today's society is. I hope that all hope is not lost though.

Cheers!

Answer 4

It is something cultural! In Arabic, the word "dog" is not an insulting word as "*****" in English. Some people may call each other "dog" as a king of joking.  But it becomes so insulting and a bad curse word, if you call some one "son of dog"!

F word is a curse word because it describes a sexual activity.I guess it is a bad word in all cultures! May be any word related to s*x or elimination are taboo in human languages!

Answer 5

If curse words are just words then why do people get offended when you call them that?

Answer 6

That is something I have wondered about as well. The only answer I have been able to reach is that they are curse words simply because we decide they are.

Answer 7

If you use them in proper text there is nothing wrong with them. When you use them to mean something else then its cursing.

Answer 8

Society's rules. It doesn't matter if it makes sense or not. Society is so full of double standards, it makes me ill.

Answer 9

its just how you use them

Answer 10

I think It is product of cultural differences and the context they are said. If you use the B word in a veterinarian office there is no problem but if you use it in a restaurant you might get some harsh comments. It is reduced to narrowed minds that likes to find a hidden meaning in everything others say, and as an example, I asked in Yahoo! Answers for a grenetin brand from Mexico that is Coloidales D*che, S.A. de C.V. and got my question removed, product of some very narrow mind that thought I was just being impolite.

Answer 11

when using these words towards humans, it come like you're cursing them in some way. these words are very rude.

Answer 12

Our ethical and moral standards decide that certain words belong to the 'obscene or curse' category. We decide that these words are vulgar in a polite and First world society, and should be frowned upon, though there are persons who use them in times of anger, despair, etc.It is not advisable to use words that are generally unacceptable in a group or  community, as they are a source of great hurt or insult.Kids are likely to ape adults who freely use curse words, and are perceived to receive no proper parental guidance. Sometimes it does sound a bit ironical that inspite of our moral education and religious background, our culture is prone to using obscene or curse words. We should begin to reverse that trend to build a more polite and gracious society.

Answer 13

Society is complex in how it interprets words.

Words that, in the past, meant something, could be entirely altered into something completely different, depending how common use of the word and/or slang words are. These words that have new meanings due to how society words includes "curse words."

Like the word "g*y" at first meant joyful, happy, etc. But now, thanks to society and its common usage of the word, it currently means "homosexual" and/or "stupid." It has changed from a positive word to a more derogatory term to describe something stupid.

The same goes for the word f*g, which meant a bundle of sticks, but is currently used to describe a homosexual male in a derogatory way.

In short: society LOVES to make words mean bad/sexual things. But it's how you interpret them that matters.