Swearing vocabulary. Obscene. Attempts to eradicate evil

In everyday life, we all often hear words and expressions, the use of which is completely unacceptable from the point of view of public morality and is intended both to insult the addressee and to express negative assessments of people and phenomena. This is the so-called obscene Russian vocabulary, or, more simply, swearing, which is one of the unsightly, but, unfortunately, difficult to eradicate sides of our “great and mighty” language.

Long tradition of prohibiting obscene language

Linguists call profanity, familiar to all of us from childhood, obscene language. The term comes from the English obscene, which means "shameless", "obscene" or "dirty". The English word itself goes back to the Latin obscenus, which has the same meaning.

As many researchers testify, the taboo ban on using various expressions related to the sexual sphere in the presence of women developed back in the pagan era among the ancient Slavs - the ethnic ancestors of Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians. Subsequently, with the advent of Christianity, the ban on the use of profanity was universally supported by the Orthodox Church, which suggests a long historical tradition of this taboo.

Society's attitude towards the use of swear words

In this regard, the results of a sociological survey conducted in 2004 are of interest, the purpose of which was to identify the attitude of Russians towards the use of obscene expressions by show business stars. It is very characteristic that the overwhelming majority of respondents, almost 80%, expressed their negative attitude towards this phenomenon, saying that in their speeches profanity is a manifestation of lack of culture and promiscuity.

Despite the fact that in oral speech these expressions are widespread among all segments of the population, in Russia there has always been a taboo on their use in print. Unfortunately, it weakened significantly in the post-perestroika period due to the weakening of state control over the printing sector, as well as due to a number of side effects that resulted from the democratization of society. In addition, the lifting of the ban on covering many topics not previously covered by print media led to an expansion of vocabulary. As a result, obscenities and jargon have become not only fashionable, but also effective PR tools.

Offensive and derogatory language

We have to admit that among teenagers, the ability to use foul language is considered a sign of growing up, and for them, profanity is a kind of demonstration of belonging to “their own” and disdain for generally accepted prohibitions. Of course, having enriched themselves with such expressions, teenagers tend to use them, often using fences, toilet walls and school desks for this purpose, and in recent years, the Internet.

Considering the problem of the use of obscene language in society, it should be noted that, despite all the freedom of expression established in recent years, responsibility for the use of obscene expressions is not removed from those who write or speak.

Of course, it is hardly possible to prohibit foul language for a person for whom, due to his upbringing and intelligence, this is the only accessible form of self-expression. However, it should be borne in mind that swearing offends those for whom the taboo on swearing - due to their moral or religious considerations - has not lost force.

The main motives for using profanity

In modern language, swearing is most often used as an element of verbal aggression, the goal of which is to scold and insult a specific addressee. In addition, it is used by people of low culture in the following cases: to make their expressions more emotional, as a way to relieve psychological tension, as interjections and to fill speech pauses.

Contrary to the popular idea that obscene expressions entered the Russian language from Tatar during the period of the Tatar-Mongol yoke, serious researchers are very skeptical about this hypothesis. According to most of them, words in this category have Slavic and Indo-European roots.

In the pagan period of the history of Ancient Rus', they were used as one of the elements of sacred conspiracies. For our ancestors, profanity is nothing more than an appeal to magical power, which, according to their ideas, lay in the genitals. This is evidenced by some echoes of ancient pagan spells that have survived centuries.

But since the establishment of Christianity, church authorities have been consistently fighting this speech phenomenon. Many circulars and decrees of Orthodox hierarchs aimed at eradicating swearing have survived to this day. When in the 17th century there was a strict distinction between spoken and literary languages, swearing finally gained the status of a collection of “obscene expressions.”

Obscene language in historical documents

The research of the famous linguist V.D. Nazarov testifies to how rich the Russian vocabulary of profanity was at the turn of the 15th-16th centuries. According to his calculations, even an incomplete collection of written monuments of that time contains sixty-seven words derived from the most common roots of obscene vocabulary. Even in more ancient sources - Novgorod and Staraya Russa - expressions of this kind are often found, both in ritual and humorous form.

Mat in the perception of foreigners

By the way, the first dictionary of profanity was compiled at the beginning of the 17th century by the Englishman Richard James. In it, this inquisitive foreigner explained to his compatriots the specific meaning of some words and expressions that are difficult to translate into English, which we today call obscene.

The very widespread use of them is also evidenced in his travel notes by the German scientist Master of Philosophy Adam Olearius, who visited Russia at the end of the same century. The German translators accompanying him often found themselves in a difficult situation, trying to find the meaning of the use of well-known concepts in the most unusual context for them.

Official ban on obscene language

The ban on the use of profanity in Russia appeared relatively late. For example, it is often found in documents of the Petrine era. However, by the end of the 17th century, its taboo took the form of law. It is characteristic that the poems of a well-known poet of those years, who widely used obscene vocabulary, were not published, but were distributed exclusively in lists. In the next century, immodest expressions were only part of the unofficial part of the work of poets and writers, who included them in their epigrams and comic poems.

Attempts to remove taboos from the mat

The first attempts to legalize obscene expressions were observed in the twenties of the last century. They were not of a mass nature. Interest in swearing was not self-sufficient; some writers simply believed that profanity was one of the ways to talk freely about sexual issues. As for the Soviet period, throughout its entire duration the ban on the use of swearing was strictly observed, although it was widely used in everyday conversation.

In the nineties, with the advent of perestroika, censorship restrictions were abolished, which made it possible for profanity to freely penetrate literature. It is used mainly to convey the lively spoken language of the characters. Many authors believe that if these expressions are used in everyday life, then there is no reason to neglect them in their work.

Attempts to eradicate evil

Nowadays, the fight against obscene language is limited to fines for its use in public places and an explanation from Roskomnadzor about the inadmissibility of using the four main swear words and all expressions derived from them in the media. According to existing legislation, if this resolution is violated, the perpetrators are given an appropriate warning, and in the event of a repeated violation, Roskomnadzor has the right to deprive them of their license.

However, many private publishers ignore the prohibitions. In recent years, the dictionary of profanity has even been repeatedly published and republished, which hardly allows us to hope for its possible eradication. The only way to combat swearing can be a general improvement in the culture of Russians.

RUSSIAN MAT

Every person in Russia, from early childhood, begins to hear words that they call obscene, obscene, obscene. Even if a child grows up in a family where swear words are not used, he still hears it on the street, becomes interested in the meaning of these words, and pretty soon his peers explain the swear words and expressions to him. In Russia, attempts have been made repeatedly to combat the use of obscene words and fines have been introduced for swearing in public places, but to no avail. There is an opinion that swearing in Russia flourishes due to the low cultural level of the population, but I can name many names of highly cultured people of the past and present, who belonged and belong to the most highly intelligent and cultural elite and at the same time - great swearers in everyday life and not They avoid swearing in their works. I do not justify them and do not encourage everyone to use swear words. God forbid! I am categorically against swearing in public places, against the use of obscene words in works of art, and especially on television. However, swearing exists, lives and is not going to die, no matter how much we protest against its use. And there is no need to be hypocrites and close your eyes, we need to study this phenomenon both from the psychological side and from the point of view of linguistics.

I started collecting, studying and interpreting swear words as a student in the sixties. The defense of my Ph.D. thesis took place in such secrecy, as if it were about the latest nuclear research, and immediately after the defense, the dissertation was sent to special library depositories. Later, in the seventies, when I was preparing my doctoral dissertation, I needed to clarify some words, and I was unable to obtain my own dissertation from the Lenin Library without special permission from the authorities. This was the case quite recently, when, as in the famous joke, everyone pretended that they knew diamat, although no one knew it, but everyone knew mate, but they pretended that they did not know it.

Currently, every second writer uses obscene words in his works, we hear swear words from the television screen, but still for several years not a single publishing house to which I offered to publish a scientific explanatory dictionary of swear words decided to publish it. And only abridged and adapted for a wide range of readers, the dictionary saw the light of day.

To illustrate the words in this dictionary, I widely used folklore: obscene jokes, ditties that have long lived among the people, were often used, but were published in recent years, as well as quotes from the works of classics of Russian literature from Alexander Pushkin to Alexander Solzhenitsyn. Many quotes are taken from the poems of Sergei Yesenin, Alexander Galich, Alexander Tvardovsky, Vladimir Vysotsky and other poets. Of course, I could not do without the works of Ivan Barkov, without “Russian Treasured Tales” by A. I. Afanasyev, without folk obscene songs, poems and poems, without modern writers such as Yuz Aleshkovsky and Eduard Limonov. A treasure trove for researchers of Russian swearing is the cycle of hooligan novels by Pyotr Aleshkin, which are almost entirely written in obscene words. I could illustrate this dictionary only with quotations from his works.

The dictionary is intended for a wide range of readers: for those interested in swear words, for literary editors, for translators from Russian, etc.

In this dictionary, I did not indicate in what environment the word functions: whether it refers to criminal slang, youth slang or the slang of sexual minorities, because the boundaries between them are quite fluid. There are no words that are used in one environment. I also indicated only the obscene meaning of the word, leaving other, ordinary meanings outside of it.

And one last thing. You are holding in your hands the explanatory dictionary “Russian swearing”! Remember that it contains only swearing, obscene, obscene words. You won't meet anyone else!

Professor Tatyana Akhmetova.

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (RU) by the author TSB

From the book Winged Words author Maksimov Sergey Vasilievich

From the book A Million Dishes for Family Dinners. Best Recipes author Agapova O. Yu.

From the book Russian Literature Today. New guide author Chuprinin Sergey Ivanovich

From the book Russian Mat [Explanatory Dictionary] author Russian folklore

From the book Rock Encyclopedia. Popular music in Leningrad-Petersburg, 1965–2005. Volume 3 author Burlaka Andrey Petrovich

From the book Encyclopedia of Dr. Myasnikov about the most important things author Myasnikov Alexander Leonidovich

From the author's book

From the author's book

From the author's book

From the author's book

From the author's book

From the author's book

RUSSIAN HOUSE “A magazine for those who still love Russia.” Published monthly since 1997. Founder - Russian Culture Foundation with the support of the Moscow Patriarchate. Volume - 64 pages with illustrations. Circulation in 1998 - 30,000 copies. Takes a moderate nationalist position;

From the author's book

RUSSIAN MAT Every person in Russia from early childhood begins to hear words that they call obscene, obscene, obscene. Even if a child grows up in a family where they do not use swear words, he still hears it on the street, becomes interested in the meaning of these words and

From the author's book

From the author's book

7.8. Russian character Once a writer from Russia came to New York and participated in one of the many programs on local television. Of course, the presenter asked him about the mysterious Russian soul and Russian character. The writer illustrated this as follows:

Note on vocabulary

From the book The Merciless Truth by Tyson Mike

A Note on Vocabulary There are two words that I use frequently in this book that require some explanation. One of them is “nigga.” The word has gained widespread acceptance and widespread adoption within the young black community through

Review of Old Testament Sexual Lexis

From the book Flame of Yahweh. Sexuality in the Bible author Davidson Richard

Overview of Old Testament Sexual Vocabulary Before embarking on the main analysis, let's take a brief look at the sexual vocabulary used in the OT. As we have already said, the Hebrew Scriptures talk a lot about sexual behavior and sexual relationships, but they do not have any

Ordinary folklore with a spicy kick of profanity

From the book Mythology of St. Petersburg: Essays. author Sindalovsky Naum Alexandrovich

Ordinary folklore with a spicy seasoning of profanity. Urban St. Petersburg folklore, being in its absolute majority a product of genuine folk art, has never been devoid of such remarkable qualities as emphasized frankness and

How did Leo Tolstoy try to wean soldiers from profanity during military service?

From the book The Newest Book of Facts. Volume 3 [Physics, chemistry and technology. History and archaeology. Miscellaneous] author Kondrashov Anatoly Pavlovich

How did Leo Tolstoy try to wean soldiers from profanity during military service? According to the testimony of Nikolai Alexandrovich Krylov, who replaced Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy in 1854 as an officer of the second light battery of the 13th artillery brigade in the Danube Army,

5.2.7. Features of vocabulary

From the book Security Encyclopedia author Gromov V I

5.2.7. Features of vocabulary Most of all, an analysis of his coherent speech can tell about a person’s internal psycho-emotional state: how logical stresses are placed in it, how quickly words are pronounced, how phrases are constructed, what deviations from the norm there are

Russian aspects of billiard vocabulary

From the book Russian Billiards. Large illustrated encyclopedia author Zhilin Leonid

Russian aspects of billiard vocabulary In the billiard vocabulary of the Russian language, there are a lot of difficulties associated with spelling and even pronunciation of the word “billiards”. For example, you can still find the spelling “billiard”, which is outdated. Also

ENGLISH-RUSSIAN AND RUSSIAN-ENGLISH DICTIONARY OF COMPUTER VOCABULARY Construction of a dictionary

From the book English-Russian and Russian-English Dictionary PC author Mizinina Irina

ENGLISH-RUSSIAN AND RUSSIAN-ENGLISH DICTIONARY OF COMPUTER VOCABULARY Construction of the dictionary Dictionary entries are arranged strictly in alphabetical order: even if you need to find a term that is a combination of words, then in this case you must follow the order

1.10. Formation of vocabulary of the Russian language

author Guseva Tamara Ivanovna

1.10. Formation of the vocabulary of the Russian language By the similarity of words, roots, affixes, a number of phonetic, grammatical and other features, as well as by the similarity of origin and development, the Russian language is part of the Slavic language family, which is divided into three groups: 1)

1.21. Expressive-stylistic stratification of vocabulary

From the book Modern Russian Language. Practical guide author Guseva Tamara Ivanovna

1.21. Expressive-stylistic stratification of vocabulary Expressive-synonymous is the meaning of a word in the semantics of which the emotional-expressive feature predominates. Words with such meanings exist independently, are reflected in the dictionary and are perceived

Use of profanity when inflicting damage

From the book Weapons - the Word. Defense and attack with... author Kotlyachkov Alexander

Using profanity when inflicting damage “You hit, I’ll fucking survive, I’ll hit, you’ll fucking survive!” Alexander Galich We are not fans of profanity. However, there is no escape; for a Russian-speaking person this is an objective reality.

About profanity

From the book Furious Limonov [The Great March on the Kremlin] author Dodolev Evgeniy Yurievich

About profanity But most of all, subscribers were annoyed by the profanity of Limonov and his student Mogutin. I had to assure readers: all the ladies working at New Look are quite furiously indignant at the publication of “brave” texts. Sometimes they arrange

I'm a rap artist and I use a lot of profanity in my songs...

From the book The Jewish Answer to a Not Always Jewish Question. Kabbalah, mysticism and Jewish worldview in questions and answers by Kuklin Reuven

I'm a rapper and I use a lot of profanity in my songs... Shalom! I recently had this situation. The fact is that I am a rap artist and in my songs I use a lot of profanity - in some songs swearing makes up as much as 80-90%.

112. Enrichment of vocabulary and phraseology

From the book Language and Religion. Lectures on philology and history of religions author Mechkovskaya Nina Borisovna

112. Enrichment of vocabulary and phraseology Translations of Scripture and the use of language in worship, preaching, and prayer enriched the vocabulary. Writing in the vernacular contributed to the intensive development of new types of speech in the language - allegorical, abstract-philosophical,

Types of sexual vocabulary

From the book Sexuality in Civilization: The Sociogenesis of Sexuality author Kashchenko Evgeniy Avgustovich

Types of sexual vocabulary Interest in sex is implicitly inherent in a person from childhood to old age. Modern society, in relation to information of a sexual nature, resembles a sect of silent people, whose sexual taboo was exploded by a stream of words, which often

Some specific love vocabulary

From the book Naked Japan. Sexual traditions of the Land of the Solar Root author Kulanov Alexander Evgenievich

Some specific love vocabulary Love-intimate vocabulary, of course, is not a special part of the Japanese language, with the exception of a small number of obscene words that you will not find here. But still in the language of couples there are characteristic turns from which

Some loudly and publicly, others quietly, in a whisper, almost to themselves. The attitude towards swearing is very ambiguous and most often depends on the environment in which one lives or rather than on social status and age.

The widespread belief that teenagers swear many times more than mature people fails on Russian roads, in auto repair shops and undignified drinking establishments. Here people do not restrain impulses that come from the heart, splashing out a wave of their negativity on their interlocutor and those around them. In most cases, the use of swearing is due to a lack of vocabulary or the fact that a person is not able to express his words and thoughts in a more cultural form.

From the point of view of esotericism and religion, a scolding person decomposes himself from the inside and has a bad influence on the surrounding space, releasing negative energy. It is believed that these people get sick more often than those who keep their tongues clean.

Obscene language can be heard in completely different layers. Often in the media you can find reports about yet another scandal involving famous politicians or movie and show business stars who publicly used profanity. The paradox is that even those who use swear words to connect words in a sentence condemn this behavior of celebrities and consider it unacceptable.

The attitude of the law towards the use of profanity

The Code of Administrative Offenses clearly regulates the use of swear words and expressions in a public place. A violator of peace and order must pay a fine, and in some cases the foul-mouthed person may be subject to administrative arrest. However, in Russia and most CIS countries, this law is observed only when swear words were used against a law enforcement officer.

People use foul language regardless of profession, income and level of education. However, for many, the presence of elderly people, young children and work that requires polite communication with people is a deterrent.

Resourceful people found a way out of the situation a couple of decades ago: along with swearing, a surrogate appeared in oral speech. The words “damn”, “star”, “to get out” do not seem to be obscenities in the literal sense of the word and cannot fall under the corresponding article by definition, but they carry the same meaning and the same negative as their predecessors, and the list such words are constantly being replenished.

On forums and in news discussions, the use of strong words is usually prohibited, but surrogates successfully bypassed this barrier. Thanks to the emergence of an obscene surrogate, parents no longer hesitate to use it in the presence of their children, harming the cultural development of their child, introducing an immature person to the use of obscenities.

Taboo vocabulary includes certain layers of vocabulary that are prohibited due to religious, mystical, political, moral and other reasons. What are the prerequisites for its occurrence?

Types of taboo vocabulary

Among the subtypes of taboo vocabulary, one can consider sacred taboos (on pronouncing the name of the creator in Judaism). The anathema to pronouncing the name of the intended game during a hunt belongs to a mystical taboo layer. It is for this reason that the bear is called “master” in baiting, and the word “bear” itself is derived from the phrase “in charge of honey.”

Obscene vocabulary

.

One of the most significant types of taboo vocabulary is obscene or obscene vocabulary, in common parlance – obscene language. From the history of the emergence of Russian obscene vocabulary, three main versions can be distinguished. Proponents of the first hypothesis argue that Russian swearing arose as a legacy of the Tatar-Mongol yoke. Which in itself is controversial, given that most obscene roots go back to Proto-Slavic origins. According to the second version, swear lexemes once had several lexical meanings, one of which over time replaced all the others and became attached to the word. The third theory states that swear words were once a significant component of occult rituals of the pre-Christian period.

Let's consider lexical metamorphoses using the example of the most iconic formulations. It is known that in ancient times, “poherit” meant “to cross out a cross.” Accordingly, the cross was called “dick”. The expression “fuck you all” was introduced into use by ardent supporters of paganism. Thus, they wished Christians to die on the cross by analogy with their own god. Needless to say, current users of the language use this word in a completely different context.

Swearing also played an important role in rites and rituals of pagan origin, usually associated with fertility. In addition, it should be noted that most conspiracies for death, illness, love spells, etc. abound in obscene lexemes.

It is known that many lexical units, now considered obscene, were not such until the 18th century. These were completely ordinary words that denoted parts (or features of the physiological structure) of the human body and more. Thus, the Proto-Slavic “jebti” originally meant “to hit, hit”, “huj” - “a needle of a coniferous tree, something sharp and prickly.” The word “pisda” was used to mean “urinary organ.” Let us remember that the verb “whore” once meant “to talk idle talk, to lie.” “Fornication” is “deviation from the established path”, as well as “illegal cohabitation”. Later both verbs merged into one.

It is believed that before the invasion of Napoleonic troops in 1812, swear words were not particularly in demand in society. However, as it turned out in the process, hazing was much more effective in the trenches. Since then, swearing has confidently taken root as the main form of communication among the troops. Over time, the officer stratum of society popularized obscene language to such an extent that it became

Swearing, strong, abusive, obscene, obscene, tavern, indecent, inappropriate, indecent, vulgar, dirty, unprintable, greasy, obscene, obscene, vulgar, selective, salty, sub-indecent, unpronounceable, ... ... Synonym dictionary

UNCENSORED, oh, oh; ren, rna. Indecent, obscene. Obscene words. To use obscene (adv.) language. | noun obscenity, and, female Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

I adj. outdated Contrary to censorship requirements. II adj. Indecent, obscene. Ephraim's explanatory dictionary. T. F. Efremova. 2000... Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language by Efremova

Unprintable, unprintable, unprintable, unprintable, unprintable, unprintable, unprintable, unprintable, unprintable, unprintable, unprintable, unprintable, unprintable, unprintable, unprintable, unprintable, unprintable, unprintable,... ... Forms of words

obscene- unlicensed urn; briefly form ren, rna (contrary to censorship requirements; obscene) ... Russian spelling dictionary

obscene- cr.f. netsensu/ren, netsensu/rna, rno, rny... Spelling dictionary of the Russian language

obscene- *uncensored... Together. Apart. Hyphenated.

Aya, oh; ren, rna, rno. 1. Outdated Contrary to censorship rules. Nth article. 2. Indecent, obscene, offensive; obscene. Thy curse. N. anecdote. No song. ◁ Obscene, adv. N. express. Obscenity, and; and … encyclopedic Dictionary

obscene- Characteristic features of presentation, text, style... Dictionary of Russian synonyms

Books

• How about *** everything, Dmitry Ivanov, Do you want to become happy? Successful? Favorite? Do you read mantras from popular books like “Secrets” and live according to Zealand? But just imagine what will happen if you let go of the brakes one day and...... Series: Publisher: Ripol Classic,
• How about everything, Ivanov D., do you want to become happy? Successful? Favorite? Do you read mantras from popular books like “Secrets” and live according to Zealand? But just imagine what will happen if you let off the brakes one day...