Profanity is dynamic, ever-changing, constantly shifting in form and meaning over time. We might find it unbelievable today, but during the Middle Ages "By God's bones!" and "God's truth!" were far more offensive than "c*nt", "sh*t" and piss – all three of which were mundane enough to appear in maps and other official records as part of medieval street names! "Queer" meant "peculiar". a "bitch" was simply a female dog and both men and women of all ages could be "sluttish"!
In this series, linguist Brian Loo Soon Hua takes readers on a journey to explore the rich origins of obscenity, slurs and insults from various languages – starting with English.