Evolution Of Profanity
The evolution of written profanity began roughly in the sixteenth century, and continues to change with each generation that it sees. Profanity is recognized in many Shakespearean works, and has continually evolved into the profane language used today. Some cuss words have somehow maintained their original meanings throughout hundreds of years, while many others have completely changed meaning or simply fallen out of use.
William Shakespeare, though it is not widely taught, was not a very clean writer. In fact, he was somewhat of a potty mouth. His works encompassed a lot of things that some people wish he had not. "That includes a fair helping of sex, violence, crime, ...
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is one reason he was so phenomenally popular. Despite what they tell you, people like having their buttons pushed" (Macrone 6). Because his works contained so many of these profane words or phrases, they were censored to protect the innocent minds of the teenagers who are required to read them, and also because they were blasphemous and offensive. Almost all of the profanity was removed, and that that was not had just reason for being there. Some of the Bard's censored oaths are;
"God's blessing on your beard"
Love's Labors Lost, II.i.203
This was a very rude curse because a man's facial hair
was a point of pride for him. and "to play with someone's
beard" was to insult him.
"God's body"
1 Henry IV,II.i.26
Swearing by Christ's body, (or any part thereof,) was off
limits in civil discourse.
"God's Bod(y)kins, man"
Hamlet, II.ii.529
The word bod(y)kin means "little body" or "dear ...
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words came from Great Britain, but were not included in Shakespeare's works. Today the expression "Gadzooks!" is not particularly offensive to most. Of course, most don't know what it originally meant. Gadzooks was originally slang for "God's hooks," and was equally offensive to 'zounds and 'sblood as it also referred to the crucifixion. An interesting note is that there is a store called Gadzooks which everyone thinks of as a pop-culture vendor to America's youth. Some (but not many) of Gadzooks' shoppers would be very offended if they knew the true meaning of the store's name. Another word from this region is a Cockney expression, "Gorblimey," which is a word used to ...
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Evolution Of Profanity. (2008, February 8). Retrieved December 23, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Evolution-Of-Profanity/78702
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"Evolution Of Profanity." Essayworld.com. February 8, 2008. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Evolution-Of-Profanity/78702.
"Evolution Of Profanity." Essayworld.com. February 8, 2008. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Evolution-Of-Profanity/78702.
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