A Thunk is a beguilingly simple-looking question about everyday things that stops you in your tracks and helps you start to look at the world in a whole new light. © Ian Gilbert.
Thunk 26:
If you swear at someone in a language you've just made up, does that count as swearing?
46 comments:
Yes. Basically, you minus "just made up" for, the other person doesn't understand... If you look at it that way, its basically even more offensive in my opinion.
To me, it doesn't matter what comes out of your mouth, its if you mean it or not. And if you were to make up a language, and create a particularly offensive word, then I think they would 'mean' what they just said.
Yes. Even though the person you are swearing at does not understand your random nonsense he might still find it offensive or insulting. There is no reason to swear when normal talking will do even better. If the person who is swearing wishes to express his feelings in a public way let him man up ( or woman up :P) and talk in a civilized manner.
Of course it still counts as swearing. It's the 'thought that counts', after all. :P
Making up a language and swearing at someone in it doesn't make it any less worse; the intention to swear still remains regardless of whether they can comprehend it or not : fact is, the curse was running through your mind.
Besides, mumbling a few foreign words could be pretty offensive to the other person. Its like swearing at someone in a language they don't understand; its still a language, and hence still a cry of loath.
Most definitely! Whichever language someone swears in, the intention is the same. The purpose of swearing is to let out the frustration and anger as a 'pain reliever'. I dont think that the language in which sworn matters, the 'bad vibes' are still headed your way. :P
It's swearing, because it's the same as if you swear in a language the other person doesn't understand, only with the made up language noone understands what you're saying, but the principal's the same.
Intention, intention, intention. It doesn't matter if you glare at someone and call them a "falafel" in the most derogatory way possible, you still swore at them.
That said, I'm now thinking up a multitude of gibberish swearwords :D Thank you for inspiring me, sir!
Well yeah I guess it still counts as swearing, because like tanya said “ its the thought that counts” even if the person is speaking some unknown language or something made up (gibberish), the intention to swear at the person still remains. And in whichever language or in whatsoever way a swear is still counted as a swear.
Well, Yes. Your intention was to swear at THAT person, the only thing is that the person can't understand what your saying. It doesn't matter whether they know what the meaning is it's the fact that you already swore at them in your head. :P
~Nikol
No, it does not count. How can you randomly make up a language and swear at someone? It has no meaning.
If you were to make up your own language and swear that means anyone can come out with some unknown word and be like, you know i just swore at you.
Hence, no it is not considered swearing or offensive one bit. (in my opinon)
hahaha :P
If I call someone "boogyboo" an mean it discourteous way, Naturally, Despite the fact that the person might not grasp its meaning, in my head i'm still trying to offend him/her. And so, Yes, it does count as swearing.
Well, ofcourse it does. Like people have already mentioned, it’s all about the person’s intentions and at the end of the day, that’s all that really matters. Regardless of what language it is said in, it is still insulting and the fact that the person cannot understand it does not make it any less offensive.
So yes, irrespective of the language it is said in, swearing is swearing.
Yes. Even if you didn't use a real curse word, you'd still mean to be offensive.
Though it is quite funny, to think of someone glaring at you and saying a random word :D
^ Interesting opinions above.
So, if Tannya called Priyanka a damned "xtzzgthyyxq!" (maybe with an African clicking sound thrown in for good measure) would Priyanka be justified in feeling hurt? Can she complain to her parents or to her teacher and ask for Tannya to be punished because she called her a "xtzzgthyyxq"?
What if "xtzzgthyyxq" doesn't mean anything in Tannya's head, but is just an expression of anger or rage? If that's the case, does that mean animals swear at each other? (woof woof would take on a whole different meaning :)
This thunk is more profound than you think it is at first glance.
Why yes, it clearly does count as swearing.
I find it rather uncivil to say something that no one other than you would understand. Whether it's swearing or not.
It's the thought that counts, they say. So if you intend to disesteem someone, whether by saying something they understand or not, it obviously indicates lack of respect. It's quite offensive to do so.
What matters is what your intentions are not what you say. It always happens that expressing rage in public could sometimes lead to swearing or cursing. In this case it doenst count merely because during the state of anger, we are usually unconscious of what comes out from us.
But at the end of the day, it all revolves around INTENTIONS.
Haha :P Tanyya you little hskgfgaashkgdf :D
I still think that it is counted as swearing, I would feel hurt that the intention was in a negative light, even if i didnt understand what it meant.
But realistically, unless Tannya growled and barred her teeth at me I doubt I would know if what she said was swearing or her just talking to herself. :P
I'm now sort of undecided but if you factor in the physical aspects [facial expressions and gestures] I think that it would be easier to discern between swearing and mumbling unknown words.
I think the impact of the swearing would be more felt if the person understands it. So "damn you (#@&#*&!" is definitely more offensive than gjnrjkgn *click* :p
Although,the question in this is 'does it still count as swearing?". For the person who made it up and said it, definitely.
For the receiver and the witnesses, well, not so much, since the words themselves have no sense to them, and therefore, they cannot prove that it was a swearword. They would feel the anger and the unpleasant intentions, but they can't really say it was a swearword since they didn't understand a thing.
hahahaha ^^, i don't thnk it will, mainly cause it's not an offical language...If you want to swear someone do it in a language that they can understand!! Won't you look like the fool in the end cause no one else would get the joke?? people will soon start you thinking you're weird and start assuming things...beside whats the point in swearing someone if they don't understand what you saying ?
In my opinion, yes it would count as swearing. As previously mentioned it is the intention that counts. Even if the person does not know what you are saying, he/she will still feel hurt and insulted. Also, even if someone just says some random words in a made up language and has no intention of swearing, the receiver will still find it offensive.
So, yes swearing in a made up language, according to me still counts a swearing.
Aisha Bashir
11g2
I have to agree with Duwane on this one, It would be more offensive because someone had purposely created that word and a meaning to go with it. Many of the words which are considered swears today ment simple non-offensive things a few decades ago. Again as Duwane stated it is also even more offensive in my opinion as well.
Ofcourse. You know the meaning, so you know that you're swearing, even if the other person doesn't. It's like swearing at a Brit who doesn't understand Arabic.
Yes it does count. The point of swearing in the first place is to vent out frustration, anger, etc. As long as that is happening, don't think it matters what language or indication it is expressed in.
Yes, I believe it does count as swearing, because if I intended the made-up word to come off as an insult, I am in all means swearing at the person.
Maybe the person being 'sweared at' would not realize it, because all he would hear is a bunch of gibberish being uttered by me. Though he might be able to feel the angry vibes being thrown at him.
In MY head, I would know that I'm swearing at him. Whether I would want him to know the true meaning of my non-sense really depends on who it is.
I don't know really know if making an exasperated or annoyed sound counts as swearing, because that wouldn't exactly count as something intended to insult the person, but rather, to show how annoyed one is.
Yes, it does count as swearing whether it is made up or not. Though it may seem like utter non- sense to the person being sworn at, he/she would still understand through the body language that someone was swearing at him. And besides the person swearing doesn’t really care if the other guy understands or not as long as he cant vent his anger.
No it does NOT! :P
Basic idea of swearing is saying words that offend the person the words were directed to! In this case however, that's not true. If I just scream out "terimakiyakalakabaka" in a restaurant, no one can say ANYthing to me. How can they prove I was swearing? Maybe I just saw a rat and screamed out whatever came to my mind in a frenzied expression of horror. So really, I don't think it counts as swearing, :)
Why yes of course it would not make a differnce whether the other person can understand or comprehend what is being said the fact that you meant your made up to word to be a curse will make it a curse. Just as many others had said at the end o the day it's really the thought that counts.
Yet looking at it from a different perspective sometimes you may be in a situation where you are very fustrated and you would like to express that fustration to someone. Your intention is not to say something offensive, but yet you would still like to express the seriousness and probably anger that your feeling, though you just can't seem to find a word that would leave this same effect as a curse word. In this case I would say your made up word is not a curse word because your intention is not to offend but you would desire to express how you are truly feeling at the moment.
Yes, I think it does count as swearing, after all, its the thought that counts right? Just because you said it in a manner in which the other person didn't understand, it doesn't mean its any less insulting towards them.
Well swearing at someone in a language you’ve just made up could count and it couldn’t count. When you swear at someone with some made up word like “ywnfrj” :P I don’t think the person you’re talking to will be offended but in fact they will be laughing at what you said! However this person may be laughing thinking your demented but you really mean something offensive, that’s the reason you said it in some retarded language. So I would have to say swearing in some made up language wouldn’t count, but it would count if you’re smart enough :)
Actually, no matter which language you just swore in, weather in French or gibberish it still is swearing because you personally meant it in a bad way and your intentions were also at fault. It still is a way of insulting, your still being rude!
Say what you mean and mean what you say. Personally and honest to god I don't swear, it doesn't suit me.
If there is no meaning to the language used, then no. But if the offender knows what he or she is doing then yes, they just don't want the other person to know, either because they are too scared or like annoying people.
Why bother swearing in the first place? There are so many more adjectives that can be used, that are less rude.
Yes, it does, beacause you consider it a bad word in the first place. The person on the other end might not understand it but your intentions were to swear at them. It's like you swearing in a language that is a proper language, but a language that person doesn't understand. So others who understand the language, do know that you are swearing but not the person receiving it. So it is still counted as swearing, even if it is a made up language.
I'd say it counts as swearing, you're intentionally abusing someone. Even if the person doesn't know what it means it doesn't mean it doesn't count anymore. You're still swearing at them, saying it in a different language is just an excuse.
"terimakiyakalakabaka" LOL faiza!
Well yes, i do consider it as swearing as we should focus more on the intention rather than what is actually said.
Also, facial expressions do count. After all, the face is the mirror of the mind.
Infact, I've seen this happen in school, when some bothered students "swore" at the teacher in their alien language.
ofcourse!!! whether your swearing in an existent language or your own made up language, but it still counts as swearing. the person you swore at will probably not know wat you just said, but you do know that you deliberately swore at that person...
I personally don't think it does.
How can you get hurt, you don't know what the person said. And he himself most probably doesn't either, he might just have blurted something out due to fury. Swearing is using obscene actual words or phrases.
If it was swearing in another language, well then of course. But this is ‘made up’ :s
If you were in a fight or argument and the other person just called you a "malala" Would you feel hurt or confused? Honestly don't think I could keep a straight face if it was me :P It’s probably their actions and expressions that get you thinking it’s something offensive.
Say you complimented someone in a language you just made up, would that be complimenting?
It’s partly true that it’s the intention, because it’s an expression of admiration. But how can you feel flattered by something that has no meaning? :p It’s the same with swearing. How can you feel offended?
I guess I wouldn't count it as swearing unless the message came across as something offensive
I don't think it does. It might satisfy the offender but it definitely wont offend the person being insulted. Our old math teacher used to shout out gibberish in class when we got on his nerves, just to relief him from a little stress. whenever he screamed "Frooshgooshcanada!" all we did was laugh and not take it seriously at all (even though he screamed like a freak)
Despite the fact that the language was just made up, the offender still meant to swear at the person. Whether the person understood what the offender said or not, is irrelevant. It's still swearing if that was the intention of the offender.
The offender was just trying to hide behind his words... or should I say gibberish? :P
I agree with Charlie; to yell out curses in 'globfersnish' (a language :P) would take away any seriousness or ill intentions from the situation, either by causing confusion or laughter (or in some cases, confused laughter)!
I doubt that it would make any impact, unless all the witnesses understood 'globfersnish' making the victim, a loner and out-numbered. :D
Personaly ive always been told it's the thought that counts and thats what i belive, so yes it may be in some crazy made up language, but the person who is saying it means that word. so swearing in differant/made up languages counts as swearing for me.
Yes, i do feel that if you swear at someone in a language you’ve just made up, it still counts as swearing because you still have that negative feeling or vibe when you use that particular word towards someone. It doesn’t matter whether you swear at a person in a familiar language or a language that you’ve just made up, the fact is that you mean what you say and if you swear at someone using a word filled with anger and hatred then I feel that it has the same impact if not a bigger one.
People say it's rude to even speak in a different tongue when someone who doesn't know the language is around. So,swearing is definitely beyond rude. But that is for valid languages.
A language is only meaningful when there are,at least, a handful of people who can comprehend and speak in it. A fabricated language is only significant to the inventor and meaningless to others.
Therefore,swearing in made up languages isn't legitimate. Not legitimate = not offensive.
(:
Yes, i would definitely consider it swearing. Its like swearing at someone and that person doesn't really understand you, but what you said was a swear and your intentions were to swear at him/her, then its a swear.
x
Haha... It's funny seeing people making up their own curses after this thunk! XD
Anyways, swearing will still count as swearing no matter what language it might be, but since you cursed at someone in a language you've made up, you might have offended the person in your opinion, but the person wouldn't give a toss since they didn't understand you.
It is still wrong(to curse in a made up language) because your intention to offended them still remains unchanged. It definitely counts as swearing.
Sir, I would love to hear you say "xtzzgthyyxq" with the african click!! ;)
Yes,I believe it still counts as swearing because. That persons aim was to make the other feel uncomfortable by not knowing what the other is saying and making them look like a outcast,or hurt cause it is sort of bullying.It is a evil sneaky way of hurting the other.
In my opinion; it doesn’t matter if you swear at someone in a language you just made up or in a language that they don't understand. The word you used was used to offend someone so it does count as swearing.
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