Who decided that these words were swear words?

[gerry]

Who was it that decided that the F word & the C word & for that matter even the word S*it were regarded as Swear words?.

[Quizmonster]

Nobody "decided" they were swear words...it is just that society at certain times sets 'rules' - for want of a better word - about what is acceptable and what is not in the matter of language, behaviour etc.
Thus, the supposedly 'coy' Victorians started saying 'pee' in place of the four-letter word beginning with 'p' and ending in 'ss'.
The three particular words you refer to are all connected with bodily functions and 'private' parts. The fact thay they were private meant that it was not acceptable to mention them in public. We still see this tendency today, particularly with reference to words denoting nationality or skin colour.

[Haggisdj]

I remember hearing once that after the Norman invasion a lot of the Anglo-Saxon words became swear words. I have absolutely no idea if htis is true or not.

[gen2]

May I add to what has been said already. It is not the words themselves that are considered swear words, but it more accurately depends upon their use.

For example, In a biological or medical situation you would use the accepted terms for the parts of the body and their functions. You would rarely use these words in everyday situations. Would you ever say you were bursting to micturate? or in urgent need to defecate? Of course not, you would say you were bursting for a P or dying for a sht. In those circumstance the words would be used in their correct sense and at worst, their use might be considered a little coarse, but not swearing.

If the same words were to be used to refer to a person, their actions, or simply to cause offence, then that is definitely swearing and socially is considered to be unnecessary and unacceptable. So don't tell someone to 'P off' or tell them they are 'sht'.

A final unacceptable use of the word is when they are inserted seemingly randomly into sentences to pad them out, making them take much longer to say and hence giving slow thinkers more time to consider what to say next.

eg
"Did you see the film last night where the housewife started a relationship with the guy next door?"
would be padded out to:
"Did you f.k.g see the f.k.g film last night where the C of a hussie started a f.k.g relationship with the f.k.g guy next f.k.g door?"

[yassa]

I think it is so the common man is not as articulate in an argument and will lose against the snotty bast**rds, if in a situation were swearing is frowned upon, ie;court. Many people have a small vocabulary and need the 'swear' words to express themselves. I.e.; it is harder to say this, 'please can you displace yourself from my presence' as apposed to 'why don't you f**k off'.

[jno]

I reckon even the most inarticulate could say 'go away' if they wanted to, yassa. But some just prefer swearing.

[yassa]

'Go away' is not as effective and it never will be.
I was only kidding, but, it does hamper certain people when trying to express themselves. . I mean the words 'born out of wedlock' are fine but '*******' is supposed to be rude, b0ll0cks, it means the same thing. It is the small minded who get offended and fornacate them, they can kiss my buttocks, the vaginas .

[yassa]

You see,,, born out of wedlock,,, fine b4stard gets deleted,,, vagina,, ok, no way will they allow ****. It's all a load of bottom waste.

[sheenadoran]

I did hear once on a program about the origins of words that the "F" word was originally dutch but I believe spelt differently and longer.