As sad as it is to realize, mat is an integral part of every language, without which it is impossible to imagine it. But for many centuries they actively fought with obscene language, but they could not win this battle. Let's look at the history of the emergence of swearing in general, and also find out how mats appeared in the Russian language.
Why do people slander?
No matter what anyone says, absolutely all people, without exception, use swearing in their speech. Another thing is that someone does this very rarely or uses relatively harmless expressions.
For many years, psychologists have been studying the reasons why we swear, although we know that this not only characterizes us badly, but can also become offensive to others.
Several main motives why people swear are highlighted.
- Insulting an opponent.
- An attempt to make one's own speech more emotional.
- As an interjection.
- To relieve psychological or physical stress from the one who speaks.
- as a manifestation of rebellion. An example of this behavior can be seen in the movie "Paul: The Secret Material". His main character (whom her father brought up in a strict atmosphere, protecting from everything), having learned that it is possible to swear, began to actively use swear words. And sometimes out of place or in strange combinations, which looked very comical.
- To attract attention. Many musicians use profanity in their songs to make themselves look special.
- In order to successfully adapt to a certain environment in which swear words replace ordinary ones.
- As a tribute to fashion.
I wonder which of these reasons you swear?
Etymology
Before finding out how swear words appeared, it will be interesting to consider the history of the emergence of the noun "mat" or "swearing" itself.
It is generally accepted that it was formed from the term "mother". Linguists believe that this concept, so respected by all, turned into the name of obscene language due to the fact that the first curses among the Slavs were aimed at insulting their mothers. It was from here that the expressions "send to the mother" and "swear" came from.
By the way, the presence of the term in other Slavic languages testifies to the antiquity of the term. In modern Ukrainian, a similar name is used "matyuki", and in Belarusian - "mat" and "mataryzna".
Some scholars are trying to connect this word with its homonym from chess. They claim that it was borrowed from Arabic through intermediary French and means "death of the king". However, this version is highly doubtful, since in this sense the word appeared in Russian only in the 18th century.
Considering the question of where the mats came from, it is worth finding out what other nations call their counterparts. So, the Poles use the expressions plugawy język (dirty language) and wulgaryzmy (vulgarisms), the British - profanity (blasphemy), the French - impiété (disrespect), and the Germans - Gottlosigkeit (godlessness).
Thus, by studying the names of the very concept of "mat" in different languages, you can find out exactly what types of words were considered the first curses.
The most famous versions explaining where mats came from
Historians have not yet come to a unified decision regarding the origin of the battle. Reflecting on where mats came from, they agree that they were originally associated with religion.
Some believe that in ancient times magical properties were attributed to swear words. No wonder one of the synonyms for swearing is curses. That is why their pronunciation was forbidden, as it could cause someone else's or one's own misfortune. Echoes of this belief can be found today.
Others believe that for the ancestors, the mat was a kind of weapon against enemies. During disputes or battles, it was customary to blaspheme the gods protecting opponents, supposedly this made them weaker.
There is also a third theory that tries to explain where mats came from. According to her, curses related to the genitals and sex were not curses, but, on the contrary, prayers to the ancient pagan gods of fertility. That is why they were said in difficult times. That is, in fact, they were an analogue of the modern interjection: "Oh, God!"
Despite the apparent delusional nature of this version, it is worth noting that it can be quite close to the truth, because it explains the appearance of sexocentric profanity.
Unfortunately, none of the above theories gives an unambiguous answer to the question: "Who created the swear words?" It is generally accepted that they are the fruit of folk art.
Some believe that curses were invented by priests. And their "flock" were memorized as spells to use, as needed.
A Brief History of Profanity
Having considered theories about who invented swear words and why, it is worth tracing their evolution in society.
After people came out of the caves, began to build cities and organize states with all their attributes, the attitude towards swearing began to acquire a negative connotation. Swear words were forbidden, and those who uttered them were severely punished. Moreover, blasphemy was considered the most terrible. For them, they could be expelled from the community, branded with a red-hot iron, or even executed.
At the same time, for sex-centric, animalistic expressions or those associated with bodily functions, the punishment was much less. And sometimes it was completely absent. This is probably why they were used more often and evolved, and their number grew.
With the spread of Christianity in Europe, another war was declared against obscene language, which was also lost.
It is interesting that, in some countries, as soon as the power of the church began to weaken, the use of obscenities became a symbol of free thought. This happened during French Revolution when it was fashionable to vehemently scold the monarchy and religion.
Contrary to prohibitions, there were professional detractors in the armies of many European states. Their duties were to curse enemies during the battle and demonstrate intimate organs for greater persuasiveness.
Today, obscene language continues to be condemned by most religions, but is not punished as severely as it was centuries ago. Their public use is punishable by small fines.
Despite this, in the last few decades, one can observe another transformation of swearing from taboo into something fashionable. Today they are everywhere - in songs, books, films and television. Moreover, millions of souvenirs with obscene inscriptions and signs are sold annually.
Features of the mat in the languages of different peoples
Although attitudes towards swearing in different countries in all ages it was identical, each nation formed its own list of swear words.
For example, traditional Ukrainian swearing is built on the basis of the names of the defecation process and its product. In addition, animal names are used, most commonly dogs and pigs. The name of the delicious pig became obscene, probably during the period of the Cossacks. The main enemies of the Cossacks were Turks and Tatars - that is, Muslims. And for them, the pig is an unclean animal, comparison with which is very insulting. Therefore, in order to provoke the enemy and unbalance him, Ukrainian soldiers compared the enemies with pigs.
Many mats of the English language came to it from German. For example, these are the words shit and fuck. Who would have thought!
At the same time, less popular swear words were indeed borrowed from Latin - these are defecate (to defecate), excrete (to excrete), fornicate (to fornicate) and copulate (to copulate). As you can see, all words of this kind are junk that is not often used today.
But the no less popular noun ass is relatively young and became widely known only from the second half of the 19th century. thanks to sailors who accidentally distorted the pronunciation of the term "ass" (arse).
It is worth noting that in every English-speaking country there are curses that are specific to its inhabitants. For example, the above word is popular in the USA.
As for other countries, in Germany and France, most obscene expressions are associated with dirt or sloppiness.
Arabs can go to jail for mating, especially if they offend Allah or the Koran.
Where did swear words come from in Russian
Having dealt with other languages, it is worth paying attention to Russian. After all, it is in it that obscene language is actually slang.
So, where did the Russian mate come from?
There is a version that the Mongol-Tatars taught the ancestors to swear. However, today it has already been proven that this theory is erroneous. A number of written sources of an earlier period (than the appearance of the horde in the Slavic lands) were found, in which obscene expressions are recorded.
Thus, understanding where the mat came from in Russia, we can conclude that it has existed here since time immemorial.
By the way, in many ancient chronicles there are references to the fact that princes often quarreled with each other. It does not indicate which words they used.
It is possible that the ban on swearing existed even before the advent of Christianity. Therefore, in the official documentation, swearing was not mentioned, which makes it difficult to at least approximately establish where the mate in Russia came from.
But if we take into account that the most popular obscene words are found mainly only in Slavic languages, we can assume that they all arose in Proto-Slavic. Apparently, the ancestors slandered no less than their descendants.
It is difficult to say when they appeared in Russian. After all, the most popular of them were inherited from the Proto-Slavic, which means they were in it from the very beginning.
Words that are consonant with some of the curses so popular today, which we will not quote for ethical reasons, can be found in birch bark letters of the 12th-13th centuries.
Thus, to the question: "Where did obscenities come from in the Russian language?", we can safely answer that they were already present in it during the formation period.
It is interesting that in the future, radically new expressions were not invented. In fact, these words have become the core on which the entire system of Russian obscene language is built.
But on their basis, hundreds of words and expressions of the same root were created over the next centuries, which almost every Russian is so proud of today.
Speaking about where the Russian mat came from, one cannot fail to mention borrowings from other languages. This is especially true for the present. After the collapse of the USSR, an active penetration into the speech of Anglicisms and Americanisms began. Among them were obscene ones.
In particular, this word "gondon", or "gandon" (linguists still argue about its spelling), formed from condom (condom). Interestingly, in English it is not obscene. But in Russian still how. Therefore, when answering the question of where the Russian obscenity came from, one should not forget that obscene expressions so common today in our territory also have foreign roots.
To sin or not to sin - that is the question!
Interested in the history of obscene language, most often people ask two questions: "Who invented swearing?" and "Why is it said that it is a sin to use swear words?"
If we have dealt with the first question, then it's time to move on to the second.
So, those who call the habit of scolding - sinful, refer to its prohibition in the Bible.
Indeed, in the Old Testament, slander is condemned more than once, while in most cases it refers to just such a variety of it as blasphemy - which is indeed a sin.
Also in the New Testament it is specified that any blasphemy (slander) can be forgiven by the Lord, except for the one directed at the Holy Spirit (Gospel of Mark 3:28-29). That is, it is swearing directed against God that is again condemned, while its other types are considered not so serious violations.
By the way, one should take into account the fact that not all obscenities relate to the Lord and His blasphemy. Moreover, simple phrases-interjections: "My God!", "God knows", "Oh, Lord!", "Mother of God" and similar technically can also be considered a sin based on the commandment: "Do not pronounce the name of the Lord, God yours, in vain, for the Lord will not leave without punishment the one who takes His name in vain" (Ex. 20:7).
But such expressions (which do not carry any negative attitude and are not curses) are found in almost any language.
As for the other authors of the Bible who condemn the mat, it is Solomon in the "Proverbs" and the Apostle Paul in the epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians. In these cases, it was about swear words, and not blasphemy. However, unlike the Ten Commandments, swearing is not presented as a sin in these passages of the Bible. It is positioned as a negative phenomenon that should be avoided.
Following this logic, it turns out that from the point of view of the Holy Scriptures, only blasphemous obscenities, as well as those exclamation expressions in which the Almighty is somehow mentioned (including interjections) can be considered sin. But other curses, even those that contain references to demons and other evil spirits (if they do not blaspheme the Creator in any way), are a negative phenomenon, but technically they cannot be considered a full-fledged sin.
Moreover, the Bible mentions cases when Christ Himself scolded, calling the Pharisees "spawn of vipers" (spawn of vipers), which was clearly not a compliment. By the way, John the Baptist also used the same curse. In total, it occurs 4 times in the New Testament. Draw your own conclusions...
Traditions of the use of mats in world literature
Although it was not welcome either in the past or today, obscene expressions are often used by writers. Most often, this is done in order to create an appropriate atmosphere in your book or to distinguish a character from others.
Today, this is no surprise to anyone, but in the past it was a rarity and, as a rule, became the cause of scandals.
Another gem of world literature, which is known for its numerous use of swearing, is Jerome Salinger's novel "The Catcher in the Rye".
By the way, the play "Pygmalion" by Bernard Shaw at one time was also criticized for using the word bloody, which was considered abusive in British English addition time.
Traditions of using obscenities in Russian and Ukrainian literature
As for Russian literature, Pushkin also "dabbled" in obscenities, composing rhymed epigrams, while Mayakovsky actively used them without hesitation.
The modern Ukrainian literary language originates from the poem "Aeneid" by Ivan Kotlyarevsky. She can be considered the champion in the number of obscene expressions of the 19th century.
And although after the release of this book, swearing continued to be a taboo for writers, this did not prevent Les Poderevyansky from turning into a classic of Ukrainian literature, which he continues to be to this day. But most of his grotesque plays are not only full of obscene language, in which the characters simply talk, but are also frankly politically incorrect.
Interesting facts
- In the modern world, swearing continues to be considered a negative phenomenon. At the same time, it is actively studied and systematized. Therefore, collections of the most famous curses have been created for almost every language. AT Russian Federation these are two mating dictionaries written by Alexey Plutser-Sarno.
- As you know, the legislation of many countries prohibits the publication of photographs that depict indecent inscriptions. Marilyn Manson once took advantage of this, who got the paparazzi. He just wrote the swear word on his own face with a marker. And although no one began to publish such photos, they still leaked to the Internet.
- Anyone who likes to use profanity for no apparent reason should think about their own mental health. The fact is that this may not be a harmless habit, but one of the symptoms of schizophrenia, progressive paralysis or Tourette's syndrome. In medicine, there are even several special terms for mental deviations associated with swearing - coprolalia (an irresistible desire to swear for no reason), coprography (an attraction to writing profanity) and copropraxia (a painful desire to show obscene gestures).
At the end of June, the State Duma supported a bill that would increase the punishment for using obscenities in the family and public places. More than once, attempts were made to toughen responsibility for obscene language, both under tsarism and after the revolution. Lidia Malygina, Associate Professor of the Department of Stylistics of the Russian Language at the Faculty of Journalism of Moscow State University, Scientific Supervisor of the Distance Learning System, spoke about how unprintable words penetrated into public life in our country and in the West, about the history and meaning of the “KP” swear word
If there were no problem, there would be no law. The question arises: who initially taught the Russian people to swear?
- One of the most common versions is the Tatar-Mongols. But in fact, this vocabulary has nothing to do with them. Russian mat of Slavic origin. Four roots known to every Russian person can be found in Macedonian, Slovenian, and other Slavic languages.
Most likely, the mat was an element of pagan cults associated with fertility, for example, with a conspiracy of cattle or a call for rain. The literature describes in detail such a custom: a Serbian peasant throws an ax up and utters obscene words, trying to make it rain.
Why have such words become taboo?
- When Christianity came to Russia, the church began an active struggle against pagan cults, including swear words as one of the manifestations of the cult. Hence such a strong taboo of these forms. This is what distinguishes Russian obscenity from obscene vocabulary in other languages. Of course, since then the Russian language has been actively developing and changing, and with it the Russian language. New swear words have appeared, but they are based on the same four standard roots. Some harmless words that existed before became obscene. For example, the word "dick". “Dick” is a letter of the pre-revolutionary alphabet, and the verb “fuck” was used in the meaning of “cross out”. Now this word is not yet included in the category of swear words, but it is already actively approaching it.
– There is a myth about the uniqueness of Russian obscene language. Is it so?
- An interesting comparison with English language. Obscene words have always puzzled British philologists with their nature. As early as 1938, the linguist Chase emphasized: “If someone mentions sexual intercourse, then this does not shock anyone. But if someone pronounces an old Anglo-Saxon four-letter word, most people will freeze in horror.”
The premiere of Bernard Shaw's play "Pygmalion" in 1914 was awaited with great impatience. A rumor was started up that, according to the author's intention, the actress playing the main female role should utter an obscene word from the stage. When asked by Freddie if she was going to walk home, Eliza Doolittle had to say very emotionally: "Not bloody likely!". The intrigue persisted to the last. During the premiere, the actress nevertheless uttered an obscene word. The effect was indescribable: noise, laughter, whistling, clatter. Bernard Shaw even decided to leave the hall, deciding that the play was doomed. Now the British are complaining that they have actually lost this favorite curse of theirs, which has already lost its former strength, because the word has become too common.
Lidia MALYGINA - Associate Professor, Department of Russian Language Stylistics, Faculty of Journalism, Moscow State University A photo: Archive "KP"
- Probably, after the sexual revolution of the 1960s, the situation changed a lot, and obscene words literally poured onto the pages of the press?
- Of course. Think back to Great Britain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Then even the legs of the piano were dressed in covers so that they would not cause random erotic associations! In the second half of the twentieth century, contraceptives are rapidly developing, the pornography industry is growing. Marriage for life, fidelity of spouses began to look like old-fashioned prejudices. Yes, and heterosexuality in marriage has ceased to be a prerequisite. It is noteworthy that at that time the attitude towards obscene words also changed. There are two linguistic collections devoted to obscene language. The first one was published in the USA in 1980. The second one was published in the United Kingdom and the USA in 1990. Several articles about vulgarisms appear in these directories at once. Examples of the use of obscene language were given in clear text.
- And yet they punished for the mat. A well-known case when, in the midst of anti-war protests in the United States in 1968 young man, who did not want to serve on the draft, was prosecuted for wearing a jacket with the inscription: “F ... the draft!”.
- Yes. Another well-known case is the 12-minute radio program "Foul Words". Satirist George Carlin listed seven words that should not be spoken on the radio, and then began to discuss this problem. One of the listeners was driving in a car with a child and accidentally heard the program. He immediately called the editor of the program and complained.
Another well-known scandal was caused by the fact that newspapers in the late 1970s. published an obscene statement that a player said to the referee during a sports competition: “f ... cheating cunt”. And in works of art, without any disguise, the rudest words began to appear. In a guide to St. Petersburg, Western authors do not hesitate to explain Russian vulgarisms, for example, b... (whore) - which is usually rendered as simply b... (short version of the word - Ed.) - and plays an equivalent role to 'f ...' in English for those who use it as a verbal stutter.
- Russian journalists also like to use obscene words and expressions, disguising them a little so as not to formally violate the law banning swearing in the media ...
- Yes, softer expressions instead of rude ones often cover in the text easily guessed obscene expressions, swear words and curses: “Dick Advocaat: UEFA for yourself!”; "Hugh Hefner and Dasha Astafieva: Hugh knows her ..."; “And he stole deposits worth 2 billion ... But he himself ended up in a complete “hopra””; or "Russia in CHOP" - the title of a special report on private security companies or the title of a film about losing weight "I'm losing weight, dear editors!".
– Are there other languages besides Russian in which obscene vocabulary is divided into ordinary swear words and into strictly taboo words, the use of which is prohibited in any situation and in any context?
– In this sense, the Russian language is unique. Although, for example, obscene language Spanish is also associated with the sexual sphere, in contrast to German (in German this is the area of excrement). But in Spanish there is no such taboo, so the first academic dictionaries of the Spanish language contained such vocabulary, but the dictionaries of the Russian language did not. In general, the first dictionary fixation of swearing dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. It's about about the third edition of Dahl's dictionary, edited by Baudouin de Courtenay. But such activities of dictionary compilers quickly ended, since the Soviet authorities banned the use of obscenities, and the third edition of Dahl's dictionary was sharply criticized.
And what Russian does not express itself with a strong word? Moreover, many swear words have been translated into foreign languages, but it is interesting that full-fledged analogues of Russian curses in foreign languages no, and probably never will. Linguists have long calculated that there is no such number of curse words as in Russian in any other language on the planet!
In oral form
How and why did the obscene language appear in Russian? Why do other languages do without it? Perhaps someone will say that with the development of civilization, with the improvement in the well-being of citizens in the vast majority of countries on our planet, the need for mat naturally disappeared? Russia is unique in that these improvements did not occur in it, and the obscenity in it remained in its virgin, primitive form ... It is no coincidence that not a single great Russian writer and poet has bypassed this phenomenon!
Where did he come from anyway?
Previously, a version was spread that the mat appeared in the dark times of the Tatar-Mongol yoke, and before the arrival of the Tatars to Russia, Russians did not swear at all, but cursing, they called each other only dogs, goats and rams. However, this opinion is erroneous and is denied by the majority of research scientists. Of course, the invasion of nomads influenced the life, culture and speech of the Russian people. Perhaps such a Turkic word as “baba-yagat” (knight, knight) changed social status and gender, turning into our Baba Yaga. The word "karpuz" (watermelon) turned into a well-fed little boy. But the term "fool" (stop, halt) began to be called a stupid person.
Math has nothing to do with the Turkic language, because it was not customary for nomads to use foul language, and swear words were completely absent from the dictionary. From Russian chronicle sources (the oldest known samples in birch bark letters of the 12th century from Novgorod and Staraya Russa. See “Obscene vocabulary in birch bark letters.” The specifics of the use of some expressions are commented on in the “Russian-English Dictionary Diary” by Richard James (1618−1619) .) it is known that swear words appeared in Russia long before the Tatar-Mongol invasion. Linguists see the roots of these words in most Indo-European languages, but they only received such distribution on Russian soil.
Here to stay
So why, after all, of the many Indo-European peoples, mat stuck only to the Russian language? Researchers explain this fact also by religious prohibitions that other peoples had earlier due to the earlier adoption of Christianity. In Christianity, as in Islam, profanity is considered a great sin. Russia adopted Christianity later, and by that time, along with pagan customs, mat was firmly rooted among the Russian people. After the adoption of Christianity in Russia, war was declared against foul language.
The etymology of the word "mat" may seem quite transparent: supposedly it goes back to the Indo-European word "mater" in the meaning of "mother", which has been preserved in various Indo-European languages. However, special studies suggest other reconstructions.
So, for example, L.I. Skvortsov writes: “The literal meaning of the word “mat” is “loud voice, scream”. It is based on onomatopoeia, that is, involuntary cries of “ma!”, “me!” - lowing, meowing, roaring of animals during estrus, mating calls, etc. Such an etymology might seem naive if it did not go back to the concept of the authoritative Etymological Dictionary of Slavic Languages: “... Russian mat, - derived from the verb “matati” - “shout”, “loud voice”, “shout”, is related to the word “matoga” - “swear”, i.e., grimace, break, (about animals) shake your head, “swear” - disturb, disturb. But "matoga" in many Slavic languages means "ghost, ghost, monster, monster, sorceress" ...
What does it mean?
There are three main swear words and they denote sexual intercourse, male and female genitalia, all the rest are derivatives of these three words. But in other languages, these organs and actions also have their own names, which for some reason did not become abusive words? To understand the reason for the appearance of swear words on Russian soil, the researchers looked into the depths of centuries and offered their own answer.
They believe that in the vast territory between the Himalayas and Mesopotamia, in the vast expanses, there lived a few tribes of the ancestors of the Indo-Europeans, who had to breed in order to expand their habitat, therefore great importance was attached to the reproductive function. And the words associated with the reproductive organs and functions were considered magical. They were forbidden to pronounce "in vain", so as not to jinx it, not to cause damage. Taboos were broken by sorcerers, followed by untouchables and slaves, to whom the law was not written.
Gradually, a habit appeared to express obscenities from the fullness of feelings or simply for a bunch of words. The main words began to acquire many derivatives. Not so long ago, just a thousand years ago, a word denoting a woman of easy virtue "f*ck" was included in the number of abusive words. It comes from the word “vomit”, that is, “spew out an abomination”.
But the most important swear word is considered to be the very word of three letters that is found on the walls and on the fences of the entire civilized world. Let's take it as an example. When did this three-letter word appear? I will say one thing for sure, which is clearly not in the Tatar-Mongolian times. In the Turkic dialect of the Tatar-Mongolian languages, this “object” is denoted by the word “kutakh”. By the way, many now have a surname derived from this word and do not at all consider it dissonant: “Kutahov”.
In the Indo-European language-based, which was spoken by the distant ancestors of the Slavs, Balts, Germans and other European peoples, the word "dick" meant a goat. The word is related to the Latin "hircus". In modern Russian, the word “mug” remains a related word to him. Until recently, this word was used to call goat masks used by mummers during carols.
Thus, we can conclude that the mat arose in ancient times and was associated with pagan rites. Checkmate is, first of all, a way to demonstrate readiness to break taboos, to cross certain boundaries. Therefore, the subject of swearing in different languages is similar - “the bottom of the body” and everything related to the administration of physiological needs. And the Russians have always had a great need for this. It is possible that even, like no other people in the world ...
Do not confuse!
In addition to "bodily swearing", some peoples (mostly French-speaking) have blasphemous swearing. The Russians don't.
And one more important point - you can’t mix argotism with obscenities, which are absolutely not obscenities, but most likely just foul language. As, for example, there are dozens of thieves' argotisms with the meaning of "prostitute" in Russian: alyura, barukha, marukha, profursetka, slut and the like.
Russian mat consists of three words. The first word symbolizes the masculine principle. The second is feminine. The third is the combination of male and female principles (the creation of life). There are a few more words that refer to parts of the male or female organs, or the organs themselves. But these words are used to a lesser extent and are grouped with one or another main word from the main triad.
Erroneously, a word (denoting a mistaken woman) is included in the swear words, which is not such and comes from the verb "to wander", that is, to be mistaken, to be mistaken. The apparent set of swear words in most cases is a set of multivariate modifications of the three main words.
All three of the above words have a clear pre-Indo-European origin, analogues in Sanskrit and all other Indo-European languages (specific etymologies and Proto-Indo-European sound can be found in encyclopedias). This fact speaks of the exceptional antiquity of these words, which goes deep into pre-literate times. This means that we will never be able to know their age. For the same reason, we cannot exclude the possibility that these words were among the first words of our Cro-Magnon ancestors, and perhaps even Neanderthals.
Why did these three words go such a long way with a person, apparently having gone through periods of taboo, while retaining a recognizable ancient form and a powerful emotional charge?
One possible answer to this question is the assumption of the religious nature of these words. Since ancient non-written times, we have known sculptural and painted images that capture male and female organs. We cannot say with absolute certainty that the drawings of male organs in the Lascaux cave and the Paleolithic Venus from Hole Fels were used for religious purposes. But the ritual character of the lingams and yoni of the 18th century BC is no longer in doubt. And later cults give us a colorful picture of the widespread use of symbols of the feminine and masculine principles in ancient rituals. One of the brightest such manifestations was the Mediterranean cult of Baal and Astarte. The rituals of worship of these gods included a description of the combination of the feminine and masculine principles, which was often expressed in the corresponding actions of priestesses and priests.
But then in different regions of the world at different times we observe a break in cults that are based on the worship of the male and female principles and their combination. Femininity is discredited. The masculine comes to the fore. This can be seen in Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism and then in Christianity, which, however, in a hidden form returns the previously lost feminine principle. Kabbalah, as a later modification of Judaism, also tries to return the feminine principle (Lilith) to the ritual space.
A possible reason for the interruption of ancient cults was their secularization (desacralization). Perhaps the once exalted inspired rituals were eventually perverted by people and took the brutal forms of drunkenness, orgies, self-mutilation and murder. A drastic reform was needed to bring back righteousness and piety. Those who did not want to reform their religion perished (Jericho, Sodom and Gomorrah, Carthage, etc.).
In some parts of the Earth, these cults have survived. For example, the cult of Shiva and Kali in the jungles of India. The widely known Hindu temples of Khajuraho with erotic sculptures date back to the 11th century after the birth of Christ. There are eyewitness stories on the Internet about how children are still being sacrificed in the impenetrable jungle of Hindustan in such temples.
Perhaps, during the period of such reforms, which in the territory Ancient Russia took place around the 10th century AD, Russian swearing as the language of a degraded once high cult was tabooed.
This assumption is indirectly confirmed by the fact that religious forms are the most conservative and "tenacious" in any culture. A small example from life can be the use of the word “thank you” by convinced atheists, which in the original sounds “God save (you)!”. And how many such words we use without knowing their meaning!
In conclusion, I want to emphasize that swearing in modern use is, apparently, the last form of the most ancient liturgical language that has degraded into its opposite. In cases of late ritual use of these words, witchcraft rites, bloody sacrifices and orgies took place. Therefore, in fact, the use of these words is now unforgivable blasphemy. Think about the possible original pure meaning of these words, but try not to use them.
The history of the appearance of the first curses in Russia is a long and dark matter. As often happens in such situations, there is no consensus, but there are several most popular versions. For example, they say that the Tatars and Mongols taught the Russians to swear, and before the yoke, allegedly, they did not know a single curse in Russia. However, there are several facts that refute this.
Firstly, the nomads did not have the habit of swearing. In confirmation of this - the records of the Italian traveler Plano Carpini, who visited Central Asia. He noted that they did not have swear words in the dictionary.
Secondly, the fact that the Russians actively used the mat is evidenced by birch bark letters of the 12th-13th centuries found in Novgorod. So, on sample No. 330 (XIII century), a rhymed teaser is written, which translates as “tail **** another tail, lifting up clothes.” On another charter from Novgorod No. 955 (XII century) - a letter from a matchmaker to Marena, a noble lady. The matchmaker Milusha writes that it's time for Big Scythe (apparently Marena's daughter) to marry a certain Snovid and adds: "Let the vagina and clitoris drink." A similar text is found in folk ditties, and in the mouth of the matchmaker this is a wish for the wedding to take place.
Thirdly, linguists, having analyzed similar vocabulary in modern Slavic languages, came to the idea of the universal Slavic character of swearing. For example, the dictionary of Serbian swear phraseology, prepared by Nedelko Bogdanovich, shows that not only vocabulary, but also models of obscene expressions in Serbian and Russian are very close. The same can be said about the models of swear words in the Slovak and Polish languages.
So, mat is an integral part of Slavic culture. Why did these words appear in the language? The variety of swear words is based on the so-called obscene triad - three curses that mean female and male genitalia, as well as sexual intercourse. And this is no accident. The function of childbearing was given high importance, so the words for the organs and the process of conception were sacred. According to one hypothesis, the mat goes back to Slavic conspiracies: it was pronounced at a difficult moment, turning for help to the magical power that is contained in the genitals. According to another version, swearing expressed curses and was used by sorcerers.
With the transition to Christianity, the shrines of paganism were destroyed, the sign systems changed, and the phallic vocabulary turned out to be taboo. But, as they say, you can’t throw out a word from a song - the people continued to swear, and the church, in response to this, to fight with foul language. It is important to note here that those words that we consider curses today were not perceived as abuse in those days. How else to explain that Orthodox priests actively used in their messages and teachings the word denoting a girl of easy virtue?! It is found, for example, in the Epistle of Archpriest Avvakum to Princess Irina Mikhailovna Romanova (c. 1666) and in his "fifth" petition to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (1669).
Only relatively recently - starting from the 18th century - did the current mate become a mate. Prior to that, these words denoted either physiological features (or parts) of the human body, or were generally ordinary words. For example, the word that is now called dissolute girls, by origin - high Slavism. Until the 15th century, it meant "liar, deceiver." In Russian, the word fornication has been preserved, the first meaning of which was - "to be mistaken, to stand at a crossroads and not know the true path." The second meaning is already bodily, literally “to debauch”. AT direct meaning the word was used until the time of Bironism, when it was declared obscene. Dictionary of the Russian language of the 18th century" gives it with all its derivatives, stipulating that after the 1730s it became unprintable.
The swear word for the male genital organ corresponds to the word "dick", which in the Old Russian language meant "cross". Accordingly, to “fuck” means to cross out a cross over.
In the second half of the 18th century, a strict separation of literary and colloquial vocabulary took place, swear words were banned. The use of obscene language in printed publications became impossible. The rule was maintained until the end of the 20th century, and obscene language remained the lot of the “unofficial” part of the creative heritage of poets and writers: epigrams and satirical poems by Pushkin, Lermontov and other authors containing shameful words were not published by them themselves and were not subject to publication in Russia at all (political emigrants from Russia began to publish them in Europe only in the second half of the 19th century).
In modern Russia, the attitude towards obscene vocabulary is twofold. On the one hand, there is an official ban on its use in the media and the press, and for swearing in public place threaten with a fine. On the other hand, writers, musicians, and actors actively use profanity as a means of expression.
Loading...
