Taboo Language

In a sense most forms of taboo language are offensive, hence it being classed as taboo language. However I think there are certainly some words that stand out and definitely are more offensive than others. I think the most offensive piece of taboo language is the word ‘cunt’. I see it as such a violent word, which is emphatic and sharp sounding. It could be due to the fact it is a sexual term and relates to the female anatomy. Society is more sensitive towards females over males and to say a woman’s female parts in such a crude way is seen as offensive. I think words to do with sex generally are offensive. ‘Fuck’ is another word that in this day and age is used in many people’s everyday vocabulary. However, despite this it is still seen as a strong and offensive swear word. It is a word that has lost its meaning, as the verb ‘to fuck’ means to have sex. It is now used in so many different contexts, to offend someone as ‘fuck you’ or if something bad happened one many exclaim ‘fuck!’ It has been extended and added to like calling someone a ‘fucker’ or describing something with ‘fucking’. Other sexual words like ‘dick’, ‘pussy’ and ‘wanker’ are all relatively offensive but not as much so.

Racial words are something that is seen as very offensive these days and there is a particular word that stands out. The n word is simply unacceptable to use in public or anywhere. Black people may address each other with this term or indeed use it against other black people but it is seen as completely wrong for anyone not black to use the word. It carries so much meaning linking back to slavery and the mal treatment of negro’s all that time ago. The words I find most offensive like the n word and ‘cunt’ are words that are not words that I like to use as I find them extreme and unnecessary.

I feel religious terms classified as taboo language are most definitely losing their strength and this is mainly down to the fact that religion is playing an increasingly small part in society today. To use a word such as ‘damn’, ‘bloody hell’ or ‘Jesus Christ’ are just ways of blaspheming and to most these days are not seen as offensive in the slightest and that is the extent to which they have lost their strength. Scatological language has also lost its strength and nowadays is simply seen as derogatory rather than offensive. ‘Shit’ is hardly offensive and is used regularly by people who swear frequently on a