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PaperclipPerfector  22d ago (text post)   3724 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for May 26, 2024

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Do any other languages have a swear like the n-word, where there's one taboo word that's far more taboo than any other? Even other slurs like cunt, jap, or faggot, while more taboo than fuck or shit, aren't on the level of nigger

It's not a "swear", except possibly technically sometimes, but when I see the circumlocutions used for, you know, ... that word ..., I keep noticing the parallels to The Name, HaShem, the Tetragrammaton, the Hebrew name of God.

The relative ranking of taboo words depends a great deal on social class in most places, but I imagine many European languages have slurs used against Muslims that might fit this category. Probably 'untermensch' and other Nazi vocabulary in German as well. Oh, and apparently monitor lizard is the worst thing you can call someone in Thai.

I believe kafir is on the same level in South Africa and preto is in Brazil, both of which have meanings essentially identical to nigger.

I would also challenge you that the N-word is overwhelmingly more taboo than anything else. That may be true among the PMC, but blue collar workers near me use phrases like ‘nigger-rig’(fucked up) and don’t consider it particularly more offensive than other construction worker English phrases like ‘no matter how I do it it’s always just a cunt hair off’.

As an interesting historical example, Latin had ‘landica’(clitoris) which was considered so offensive that minced oaths were taboo.

As an interesting historical example, Latin had ‘landica’(clitoris) which was considered so offensive that minced oaths were taboo.

Any reading on this? I couldn't find anything with a quick Google.

Better to talk 'cultures' than 'languages' on this one -- even today that taboo is mostly restricted to white urban PMC USA; there are still plenty of (not particularly racist) places where it's about on the level of (North American usage) of 'cunt' or something.

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