Introduction
What is this all
about?
What
is a taboo word? And what can we use
instead?
Many
Taboo Words
Is there more than
one kind? Where did they come from?
New
Words
The beginning of
new taboo words.
Using
Taboo Terms
How, when and why
taboos are used in everyday language.
To
Sum It Up
What was this site
on?
Terms
& Explanations
Bibliography
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Introduction
Taboos,
the forbidden topics in dialogue situations. But just what exactly
are taboo words, where do they come from and why do they change?
This site will analyze taboo
words and taboo issues and shed some light on the main aspects when dealing
with taboos as an element of language. We will study
taboos in general, find examples of the development of taboo words in the
English language and define the elements of these words.
We will see just what the term taboo itself means and how to distinguish
taboo terms, replacement techniques and taboo words from taboos and taboo
issues. One of the most important ways to deal with taboos today, the replacement
technique of euphemizing will be explained. We will show some differences
between the 19th and the 20th century, to show the
development over time. We will see that taboo words and topics can emerge
suddenly, or slowly, according to changes that take place in the historical
evolution of social structures, and that the status of a taboo within society
is revealed in the way euphemisms concerning this specific taboo are handled.
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