Download e-book for kindle: An Encyclopedia of Swearing: The Social History of Oaths, by Geoffrey Hughes

this is often the single encyclopedia and social historical past of swearing and foul language within the English-speaking international. It covers a number of the social dynamics that generate swearing, foul language, and insults within the complete diversity of the English language. whereas the emphasis is on American and British English, different significant international kinds, akin to Australian, Canadian, South African, and Caribbean English also are coated. A-Z entries hide the total variety of swearing and foul language in English, together with attention-grabbing information at the heritage and origins of every time period and the social context within which it came across expression. different types comprise blasphemy, obscenity, profanity, the categorization of ladies and races, and modal kinds, reminiscent of the ritual insults of Renaissance "flyting" and glossy "sounding" or "playing the dozens." Entries disguise the ancient size of the language, from Anglo-Saxon heroic oaths and the staggering energy of medieval profanity, to the stern censorship of the Renaissance and the colourful, glossy language of the streets. Social components, corresponding to stereotyping, xenophobia, and the dynamics of ethnic slurs, in addition to age and gender ameliorations in swearing also are addressed, in addition to the key taboo phrases and the complicated and altering nature of spiritual, sexual, and racial taboos.