Profanity: The Manifestation Of Profane Language

If someone were to ask, “what are the kind of words you can NOT say called?”, how would you respond? Cursing? Swearing? Cussing? Having a foul mouth? The name of this peculiar branch of the English language varies, but in general you may find yourself in trouble for saying them around certain people. Along with having many different names, this part of the language that will be called profanity originates from several different subjects considered taboo to mention. Who decides what would be on the list of profane words and phrases that people can not say? The answer: everyone decides. Profanity is a manifestation made by people to associate these words with what not bode well for people as a whole in a society. The creation of profane words or phrases and the enforcement to prevent the populace from saying them reflect the ideals of the society they …show more content…
For a long time in America, publicly using profane language over public television or radio could lead to charges or even arrests, despite the country’s claiming itself as a nation of free speech. This implies that the enforcement of profane language is not based on the thoughts or feelings of a select few, but rather society as a whole being the base of these actions. Tony McEnery, a professor of English language and linguistics at Lancaster University in Britain claims that just as movement groups of 17th century Britain had argued “moral probity... for example, by an avoidance of bad language, was a prerequisite for the exercise of power” in response to a few of the rulers at the time, standards in what people of power are allowed to say in today’s world are also expected to be free of profanity. One would not expect a President of Prime Minister to publicly utter profanity in this day and age, for example, as it would cause the public to question their authority and whether they deserve the position they were put