THOUGHTS

The Fascinating History of Swearing: From Roman Poets to Victorian Euphemisms

By God’s Bones

Rrahul Anandd
RESONATES
Published in
5 min readNov 7, 2023

--

Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash

By G. It feels good to swear. Right?

I don’t know, but something is satisfying about swearing. It helps to connect, vent anger, and show some love. Swearing, or the use of cuss words, has always fascinated us humans. It’s a linguistic equivalent of a fist fight. A mystery that transcends time and culture, providing a glimpse into the evolution of language, society, and even morality.

From the articulate profanities of Roman poets to the tactful euphemisms of the Victorian era, the history of swearing is a fascinating journey through time.

The Ancient Art of Swearing: Roman Poets and Taboos

If you think swearing is some modern phenomenon, think again. It goes back to the enigmatic world of Ancient Rome, where vulgarity and obscenity were a regular occurrence, yet inventive. Unlike today, Roman society was unique and weird, considering what we see today.

They had a distinctive approach to sexual norms, as it was considered socially acceptable for a man to engage in sexual activities with partners of any gender, as long as he remained an active participant.

--

--

Rrahul Anandd
RESONATES

Reading and writing fanatic from the rare species who prefer rest in peace to RIP.