THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 4, 1996 TAG: 9610040045
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Grace Hsiu
LENGTH: 67 lines
YOU KNOW, the best things that America has ever come up with are 7-Elevens, functional highways and bleeper buzzers. As a country, we should be deliriously happy to house the biggest population of potty-mouths in the world.
The etymology of profanity is possibly one of the most intriguing aspects of American slang. In 1896, these choice words were once used in common speech and accepted by all. In 1996, my editor refuses to let me print most of these notorious expressions. You could label this as a violation of the First Amendment, but that's the way it is. So, I am forced to curb my language.
That's a little frustrating since we Americans seem to have an odd fascination with harsh-sounding words, which is the main reason profane words (rhyming respectively with schmuck, witch, lit, pass, bell and ram) are considered ``foul.'' According to the linguistics majors of America, the end sounds (i.e., ``-tch,'' ``-ck,'' ``-t,'' etc.) give a sharper resonance to words.
After trying to research the etymology of profane words (and failing profoundly), I am inclined to believe that Webster and Oxford don't want anyone to know the origins of these choice words. You would think that after some foul-mouthed flicks and literature have been heralded as the nation's best over the years, some swear words would now be considered official English. The few origins that were available were fascinating:
``Hell'' was once spelled with one ``l'' and derived from the German word ``haljo,'' meaning ``underworld.'' Other words that stemmed off of ``hell'' all have the same meaning of a covered place: hall, hull, hole and hollow.
The word that rhymes with ``pass'' is a mix of Old English, Middle Welsh and Irish. Ultimately, it came from Latin ``asinus'' and ``asina,'' which were rooted from a language in Asia Minor.
The many thesauruses of slang suggest new alternatives to outright swearing. Frankly, if someone told you, ``Up thine with turpentine!'' it would be more or less amusing.
The First Amendment says that every person has a right to say what he feels like saying. According to Dennis Miller, the winner of the Biggest-Potty-Mouth-at-the-Oscars-and-the-MTV-awards, Americans ``have a sacred commitment to uphold and respect freedom of speech, and that includes speech which we not only disagree with but radically and fundamentally are opposed to.''
Since much foul-mouthed literature has been pulled off bookshelves, it gives us reason to believe that censorship is quite an ingenious thing. After all, how else are we to encourage youth to read?
For example, how many high school students have read ``To Kill A Mockingbird'' - banned in a lot of schools - and liked it? Too many. How many high school students have read ``Walden'' and liked it? Probably few.
``Profanity is a perfectly legitimate expression,'' argued Charlie West, 17.
Some people, to look cultured, try to curse in different languages. To be honest, that doesn't do a whole lot of good because half the time, you don't remember the translation. What some people don't realize is that swearing in a different language defeats the purpose of profanity: shock value. Since profanity is mostly used as a reflex to a situation, you wouldn't automatically think in that language.
I'm not going to insult your intelligence by defining each profane word - as Americans, you should already know them. After all, the 20th century is best known for the atomic bomb, the production of hideous ashtrays, the government being the ``necessary evil'' and the evolution of naughty words. MEMO: Grace Hsiu is a junior at Cox High School. Her column appears
bimonthly. If you'd like to comment on her column, call INFOLINE at
640-5555 and enter category 6778 or write to her at 4565 Virginia Beach
Blvd., Virginia Beach, Va. 23462. by CNB