Taboo words

In every culture there are certain words and topics that are considered taboo. The most
common taboo words are related with sexual parts of the body, sexual activities, bathroom
functions, death religion and race.
Taboo words can be divided into different types.
Obscenities- these are vulgar words for sexual body parts, sexual acts and excrement. In the
past these words used to be freely used and were not taboo.
Slurs- these are insulting words about someones nationality or race (nigger, cracker, chink,
kyke).
Profanities- taboo words derived from religious terminology. Words like Jesus, hell, God,
damn are not taboo when we put them in particular context, like when we are talking about
religion, but when we use them irreverently they become taboo.
Faunalities- taboo words derived from animal names (cow, bitch, cock).
Mortologies- taboo words related with death (cancer, AIDS, plague, dead).
The reason why these words are taboo because at some point in history a group of
influential people decided that a word or topic was taboo. If enough people felt the same way,
this taboo was passed along to the rest of the society.
When it is not socially acceptable to use a word in everyday situations, the word
becomes more powerful, and that is one of the reasons people use taboo words. For example
teenagers use taboo words to sound cool and rebel against authority, some people use them
in heated arguments, men sometimes use them to bond with other men and lovers may use
taboo sexual words to stimulate passion.
It is in human nature when a taboo is interesting, to spend a great deal of time thinking
about and talking about taboo topics. You will find only one common English word for nonsexual body parts, but there are so many words for sexual body parts.
Sometimes it is not the meaning of the word that makes it taboo. Some words are
obvious others are not, when you accidently not knowing the meaning say a taboo word most
of the people would not be offended or get angry, but they would simply laugh and tell you
politely the meaning of that word.
Buttocks, behind and ass are all used for the same body part. Buttocks is a clean word
used in formal situations. Behind is a cleaner word used in general conversations. Ass is a
dirty taboo word used in very informal situations and should not be used in school, at home
and at work.
Different cultures have different taboo words, some words that are today taboo in one society
are not taboo in another culture or society. For example in most cultures and societies the

word transgender is considered a taboo word, but in some countries like Thailand it is not
taboo because their religion accepts transgender people and they have existed in their culture
for ages.
Anto Miura