Talk:Profanity

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This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 24 August 2020 and 9 December 2020. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): LingClassmate.

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This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 17 August 2020 and 23 November 2020. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Kyralewiss.

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Socially Offensive?

The opening line claims that profanity is "socially" offensive (socially offensive? what does that mean?), and then gives this as the reference for the claim: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/profanity. The problem is that there is nothing in that reference using the term "socially offensive" or even "offensive." I think this is a poor, somewhat unthoughtful introduction. The article should stick closer to the dictionary meaning rather than WP authors' opinions. I'd like to change it. Objections?Chafe66 (talk) 07:29, 17 September 2022 (UTC)[reply]

@Chafe66: Yes, it's an unusual and confusing phrase. In this context, "socially offensive" probably means "rude" or "disrespectful" or "contrary to social norms." Jarble (talk) 21:13, 18 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]

As that article explains, social norms are also pretty subjective and vary a lot. I and my Australian mates find at times that language we regard as perfectly normal, and not offensive in the slightest, sends us straight to places like Facebook Jail for short stays. "Socially" can mean what the people with power in a certain place at a certain time decree to be correct. HiLo48 (talk) 01:23, 19 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]

I agree with all of that, but I was not really perplexed by the phrase, I just think it should be changed because the wording is unclear (as you've both just shown by offering different interpretations). Chafe66 (talk) 20:05, 30 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]

"List of swears" listed at Redirects for discussion

The redirect List of swears has been listed at redirects for discussion to determine whether its use and function meets the redirect guidelines. Readers of this page are welcome to comment on this redirect at Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion/Log/2024 September 29 § List of swears until a consensus is reached. 1234qwer 1234qwer 4 16:46, 29 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Semi-protected edit request on 23 November 2024

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Paragraph: http://en.wiki.x.io/wiki/Profanity#Anatomy_and_sexuality

Change the following: "Reference to prostitution brings its own set of profanities. Many profane words exist to refer to a prostitute, such as whore in English, putain in French, puttana in Italian, kurwa in Polish, блять (blyat') in Russian, and puta in Spanish."

To:

"Reference to prostitution brings its own set of profanities. Many profane words exist to refer to a prostitute, such as whore in English, putain in French, puttana in Italian, kurwa in Polish, шлюха (shl'yuha) in Russian, and puta in Spanish."

Main difference: (current -> requested)

...блять (blyat') in Russian... -> ...шлюха (shl'yuha) in Russian...

Source: (as a native speaker) The word "блять" (blyat'), is likely misspelled - it usually means "fuck" or as a vulgar expression of surprise, sadness, dread, apathy, etc; The main reason may be the original mispronounciation - the word "блять" (blyat') and the word "блядь" (blyad') sound very alike, thus having a slight grammatical error. Nevertheless, "блядь" (blyad') is rarely used by russians to depict a "whore". "Шлюха" (shl'yuha) is used more commonly.

21:18, 23 November 2024 (UTC)

The source says that these words are "expletive interjections" based on terminology for prostitutes rather than an actual word used for a prostitute in common speech. Would you say that's an accurate description? Also note that the source uses the spelling "bljad'!" but someone changed it to "blyat' in the article. Thebiguglyalien (talk) 21:52, 23 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Pardon for the late reply,

>Would you say that's an accurate description?

No, such words are rarely used as an interjection in an everyday talk

>the source uses the spelling "bljad'!"

You mean in the cyrillic characters? No, it clearly spells out as "blyat' " Ancestrychanged (talk) 08:44, 30 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]