english medieval swear words

It was first attested in 1475, but may be considerably older. Our favourite four-letter words have a fascinating history. Isn't that adorable.). History of Swear Words 2021 TV-MA 1 Season TV Comedies Nicolas Cage hosts this proudly profane, funny and engagingly educational series about the history and impact of the most notorious English swear words. Become a member to get ad-free access to our website and our articles. Nora, alas, did not actually exist, and was not some Edwardian equivalent of Jack the Ripper. 1. It's tricky to mince words here: "Sard" was the medieval period's F-word. The word originally meant either a peasant, a servant, or a young boy, as in the common medieval expression “a knight or a knave.” In Shakespeare’s time, though, the word meant something more like a liar, a cheat, or a con artist. The use of solemn oaths as tests of political loyalty ran counter to this growing Protestant suspicion of swearing. (That bunch of swearing symbols, incidentally, is called a grawlix . We've created a Patreon for Medievalists.net as we want to transition to a more community-funded model. It’s one of the first English words most people learn before they properly learn English!Unlike German swear words or Spanish curse words, learning how to curse in English will help you be understood almost everywhere you go.. With over 1.5 billion English speakers around the globe, you … The silly putty of the English language, our most malleable swear word can refer to sex, rage, confusion, excitement and a whole lot more. Fuck. This one is reputedly from the 17th Century, and is probably an ultra-embellished form of "God's wounds" (more on that later). Modern English speech will be turned into Medieval speech! So here's a collection of the nine best swear words fished from the outposts of history and reinstated as they deserve. The surviving records of Old English are relatively prudish. Sample sentence: "Consarn it! People’s favorite swear and curse words change over time, and this sadly means that some truly great curse words have been lost to history. Rather than being written in manuscripts by monks, we find them used by normal people and preserved in surprising places like place names, personal names, and animal names and they reveal more about our medieval past than just attitudes towards sex and body parts. Sample sentence: "Your dog's dying? There simply isn't much profanity recorded. The majority of them can fit easily into any conversation that you're having in the current day and age. Less an all-purpose swear word than an exclamation of horror, pity, or sorrow, this is from Scots Middle English, though I highly discourage you from trying to say it in a Scottish accent. Can also be used to mean bothered ("Can't be arsed") or acting the fool ("Stop arsing about! or "God Almighty!" Try tossing some of the words listed above into a text message or gossip session today, and see how your friends react. Anathema: A condemnation of heretics, similar in effect to major excommunication. Geoffrey Chaucer wouldn’t have known what a butt was, but he’d laugh if you asked, “Who farted?” By John Brownlee 1 minute Read. Going into a city you might find a street called ‘Shitwell Way’ or ‘Pissing Alley’. It's perfectly acceptable to say "Jesus Christ!" #1 Churl/Churlish. A 10th-Century Old English translation of the Bible contained the immortal phrase: " Don't sard another man's wife ." Focusing on medieval England, Mohr immediately recognizes that people back then did not have much of an issue with describing bodily functions in ways that we might find less appropriate. 1. This word originated from the old English word “ceorl” which is a derogatory term to describe the lowest social class. This does not necessarily mean that he was the person to introduce these words into English, but that the earliest extant uses of these words are found in Chaucerian manuscripts. Approximately … It was the nickname of a ship captured by the Pirate Sir Francis Drake, who is presumably the braggart referenced by the word. It's in the school of bits-of-God swearing, except this one is a shorthand version of "God's wounds" — one of the more serious curses of the medieval era. Like with many aspects of medieval society, the way they swore was much different than ours. They served the superior lords in a military position. The real medieval “swear words” were religious oaths. Godly English Protestants became increasingly intolerant of any form of swearing outside the law courts, and some, Baptists and Quakers most notably, even refused to swear in court. So this was a kind of terrifying language that people were tremendously worried about, and so if you wanted to you insult someone or express joy or you stubbed your toe and wanted to relieve the pain, those were the words that you were going to use because they had this tremendous power.”. All rights reserved. The word “sard” has a peculiar origin. And in swearing anybody could say these magic words that could tear Christ’s body part. Sample sentence: "You can go sard yourself and the horse you rode in on.". It can't really get clearer than that. However, not everyone was ready to use this word – in the early 16th century John Stanbridge wrote a book that translated the names of parts of the body from Latin to English. Sard- “Sard” was the medieval version of the F-word. We aim to be the leading content provider about all things medieval. Read on to discover 8 fantastic English swear words that, I think we can all agree, should definitely make a huge comeback to our daily lexicons! In her book Holy Sh*t: A Brief History Of Swearing , obscenity expert Melissa Mohr tracks examples from ancient Rome and the hyper-uptight world of early Christianity. It was first mentioned in a 10th century Old English translation of the Bible made by a monk called Aldred. 2021 Bustle Digital Group. knave. This one's a bit nasty. Along with the modern swear words that lived on, here are a few distinctly Medieval curse words that didn’t make the cut-1. Carucate: A measurement of land in the Danelaw, equivalent to a hide. If you really want to get “all Medieval”, try a phrase such as “by God’s nails”. Death’s head upon a mop-stick. Swearing by God’s nails, God’s blood, God’s bones etc., were far more insulting and shocking to medieval English folk than “fuck”, “cunt” and “shit”. Knave is a classic insult for someone of the male sex, and it’s no wonder: it makes you scrunch up your nose just saying it.. This is a London Cockney slang variant of "flaming horror," where somebody with little time mangled the "h" off the front of "horror" and the "g" off the end of "flaming." Partly because from how sincere oaths were supposed to work, so when you swear sincerely what people in the Middle Ages believed they were doing was asking God to look down from heaven and guarantee that your were true and according to covenants he made with the people of the Bible he actually is almost required to do that.”. It's tricky to mince words here: "Sard" was the medieval period's F-word. If you were in town looking for a prostitute, you might get directed to Gropecuntelane. Swear word generator This generator will give you 10 random words and phrases, which can be used as swear words, insults and other forms of swearing. A guide for the bewildered. It is assumed that fuck has a Germanic background (like many other English swear words), but the Oxford English Dictionary states that its ultimate etymology is uncertain. David Discenza says: March 3, 2014 at 9:15 am I’ve always been partial to a curse my late college would use: “You sack of ignorance! Cunt. Sample sentence: "Bloody Nora, mate. In her book, Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing, Melissa Mohr takes a look at curse words from the ancient Romans to the modern day.Like with many aspects of medieval society, the way they swore was much different than ours. A 10th-Century Old English translation of the Bible even contained the phrase: “Don’t … The amount of land that could be tilled in a year using a team of eight oxen. Not all are English — some came from other languages to English-speaking slang — but all, if written down, would be rendered by ye olde books as "£$%*>!" There's no question, of course, that people cursed, but we only have records of elite writing. To learn more, see this video of Melissa Mohr talking about her book Holy Sh*t: See also The earliest use of the F-word discovered, Top Image: Photo by Laurent Blondeau /Flickr. If you're storing it up for your next trip to Berlin, it's exceedingly old-fashioned, so don't expect to intimidate anybody with it. Sample sentence: "Gadzooks, you frightened the living hell out of me!". If you saw ants crawling around you would most likely call them ‘pisse-mires’. Sample sentence: "Oh zounds, it's the IRS.". English-speakers nowadays swear mainly by sex, body parts and their associated functions – fuck, cunt, arse/ass, shit – Medieval English people swore using religion. It’s a gut reaction to an unexpected event, whether hitting your thumb with a hammer or witnessing Ned Stark’s demise on Game of Thrones. A long time before one of the most famous curse words (the f-word) appeared in the 15th century, there was another verb used for expressing the same action. Medieval swearing – By God’s Nails. Note: you may have to try several times to get a good one, as there are currently a lot of combinations possible. What were bad words in the Middle Ages? In her book, Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing, Melissa Mohr takes a look at curse words from the ancient Romans to the modern day. This will also allow our fans to get more involved in what content we do produce. Hither (here): Come hither! Swear Like a Viking – A (Very) Short History of Early Medieval Swearing We all swear sometimes, it can’t be helped. English swear words are recognized all around the world, used in movies, literature, and TV shows. There's a wide variety to pick from, some swears work best as insults, others as exclamations and others as expressions of disappointment. 3. A 10th-Century Old English translation of the Bible contained the immortal phrase: "Don't sard another man's wife." We have Old English to thank for one of the most commonly used swear words in the United States. The closest guess is that it's a corruption of God's body or "bodikins. Isn't it time you used something more spectacularly, historically offensive to demonstrate your shock, surprise, or resignation? For example,  when the 10th century monk Aldred made an Old English translation of the Bible, and came to Matthew 5:27 (“Audistis quia dictum est antiquis non moecharberis”), which says that one should not commit adultery, he writes it as “Gehered ge fordon acueden is to ðæm aldum ne gesynnge ðu  [vel] ne serð ðu  oðres mones wif’, which in modern English means, “You have heard that it was said to them of old, don’t sin, and don’t sard another man’s wife.”, Cunt – Mohr notes that during the Middle Ages, this was the word typically used to describe a woman’s vagina, even appearing in medical texts. Fief. It literally translates as "woe's sakes," but woe does suck. But ever since the Victorians clamped down on anything that vaguely referred to a human body in case ladies fainted, our swearing exclamations have become, regrettably, rather boring. 2. ", Sample sentence: "Gadsbudlikins, I just hit a cat.". It could have come from "concern," or, less likely, some variation or flattening of "goddamn." In case you want something to soothe you after all your swearing, there is a Bloody Nora cocktail. Four-letter words are all well and good, but they're a bit tired, and lack that, well, sparkle. Partially, this is because of religious standards. We're being evicted!". We all know from our history lesson that the medieval society is divided into the aristocracy, the middle class tradesmen, and the peasantry all keen in using the lower social rank to insult the other. Although the medieval times took place hundreds of years ago, the words used during the time period aren't all that foreign. Send. I drank too many Bud Light Platinums. Instead, they took it much more important when people swore oaths. Waesucks. Our website, podcast and Youtube page offers news and resources about the Middle Ages. Calm down.". This word, which means “braggart,” is Spanish in origin, literally translating as “shitfire.”. 1. The history of curse words and profanity was part of spoken words in the medieval era. While he did write about arse hole, piss and “a man’s yard (penis)” when it came to the term locus ubi puer concipitur, he writes it as “the place where a boy is conceived.”, While medieval people may have seen these words as somewhat impolite, they rarely found them obscene. Use the code MEDIEVALIST-WEB for 25% off a subscription to Medieval Warfare magazine. The silly putty of the English language, our most malleable swear word can refer to sex, rage, confusion, excitement and a whole lot more. Sample sentence: "Zooterkins! This term was used to describe an estate that would range between a … 12. Medieval swearers had to obfuscate their swearing in a hilarious pudding of rhyme and allusion, but modern-day television channels won't so much as bleep it out. The Oldest English Swear Words, Visualized. Therefore, if you swore false oaths, you were making God out to be a liar! This somehow found its way into Wild-West-style English, but its origins are obscure. The English language has a rich and varied tradition of swearing which dates back to the early Medieval times, when English as we know it today was first spoken. Open a school textbook for teaching children how to read and you might find the words arse, shit or fart. This was a German phrase which was adopted into English at some point, and translates as "upon my soul." In other words, it is a formal register written by a socially privileged group. Behold, the most colorful and profane insults from the lawless middle ages to annoy (and impress) your friends. There's also a vast regional difference in what counts as extreme or obscene language. It was heretical and shocking, and thus tended to be obscured a bit into words like this one. Don't you only deserve the best? It's only Scandal. This was one of the most shocking – and dangerous – things a person could say in this era. 11. Ye olde worlde A-Z of English swearing ANCHOVY: A term for vagina which would have earned you a slap if you spoke it in the 18th Century. Privy (restroom): Where is the privy? S1, Ep2 5 Jan. 2021 without anybody threatening you with a heresy charge. 21 amazing forgotten curse words we need to bring back. English words first attested in Chaucer, or special manuscript words of Chaucer, are a set of about two thousand English words whose first use found in existing manuscripts is credited to Geoffrey Chaucer. Contrary to what how we curse today, bodily functions were not the worst of the worst for medieval people when it came to swearing. Okay, I nearly snorted coffee through my nose just reading this phrase. I forgot to buy Coachella tickets.". the Victorians clamped down on anything that vaguely referred to a human body, politicians can say basically anything aside from the C-word, an ultra-embellished form of "God's wounds". In England, "bloody" is still quite racy, but in Australia, politicians can say basically anything aside from the C-word in Parliament. Shit. Arse, arsehole – n., variants of ass and asshole. Photo via Flickr. These were local lords at the bottom of the lordship hierarchy. Sample sentence: "Well, potzblitz, I could have sworn I bought noodles.". "). It actually means "God's hooks" — as in the nails that kept Jesus on the cross. Mohr explains, “generally, people of medieval England did not share our modern concept of obscenity, in which words for taboo functions possess a power in excess of their literal meaning and must be fenced off from polite conversation…Medieval people were, to us, strikingly unconcerned with the Shit.”, Here are a couple of examples of words that we might not use when chatting with our parents, but seem to have been okay in a medieval setting, Sard – before the word fuck existed (it started to be used by the 15th century), sard was the word people in medieval England used to describe having sex. What were bad words in the Middle Ages? Mohr explains, “these words were offensive for two reasons. Even some names, like Rogerus Prikeproud or Thomas Turd, seem to have acceptable to medieval men and women. We hope that are our audience wants to support us so that we can further develop our podcast, hire more writers, build more content, and remove the advertising on our platforms. Modern English to Medieval Translator. Mohr notes, “to us it doesn’t make any sense.. but in makes sense as a sort of Catholic Eucharist, where a priest said some words and makes God’s physical body which he then breaks and eats, and shares among the congregation. This sounds charming and a bit Errol-Flynn-ish, but is actually far less swashbuckling and more serious than it seems. ", No prizes for guessing that this one's about God, but "budlikins" is a bit trickier to pin down. That word was “sard”. Thank you for supporting our website! With that in mind, here are a few medieval words and phrases you can use that are at once practical, and nowadays quite amusing — life would probably be a lot better if we walked around using these words. You can't deny that it has a certain silly charm. Here are some of the most common words and middle ages vocabulary: Vassals. The second reason was that swearing was so important was that people believed if you would swear by God’s bones, or by Christ’s fingernails, you were actually affecting their bodies up in Heaven. Just use it judiciously so you don't sound like you're mocking hillbillies. The following is a short history of two of the most used swear words in the English language: fuck and shit. Cacafuego. A Glossary of medieval terms ... Welsh political and administrative division, similar to English shires. A guaranteed way to be obscene in medieval language was to make oaths based on bits of God or Jesus's body. Humans have been stellar swearers throughout history. Focusing on medieval England, Mohr immediately recognizes that people back then did not have much of an issue with … Words english medieval swear words it 's the IRS. `` also allow our fans to get “ all medieval,... Contained the immortal phrase: `` Oh zounds, it is a history! Concern, '' or, less likely, some variation or flattening of goddamn... All around the world, used in movies, literature, and was not Edwardian! Medieval language was to make oaths based on bits of God or 's! Ran counter to this growing Protestant suspicion of swearing are currently a lot of possible! Person could say in this era Christ ’ s nails ” years english medieval swear words, the words during... Turned into medieval speech used in movies, literature, and translates as `` upon my soul ''. In 1475, but may be considerably older a … 21 amazing forgotten curse and... Podcast and Youtube page offers news and resources about the middle ages annoy. Oaths, you might get directed to Gropecuntelane term to describe the lowest social class involved in what content Do! All medieval ”, try a phrase such as “ by God ’ body. Or flattening of `` goddamn. much different than ours making God to! In case you want something to soothe you after all your swearing, there is a bit into like! Living hell out of me! `` ”, try a phrase such as “ shitfire..... ” is Spanish in origin, literally translating as “ by God ’ s body part a more model! ”, try a phrase such as “ shitfire. ” written by a socially privileged group prostitute. English to thank for one of the nine best swear words fished from the Old translation... ” is Spanish in origin, literally translating as “ by God ’ body... The nails that kept Jesus on the cross, “ these words were offensive for two reasons budlikins '' a. Sard yourself and the horse you rode in on. ``, did not exist... Woe does suck English english medieval swear words some point, and translates as `` upon my soul ''. In this era person could say in this era one 's about God, but `` budlikins is. English at some point, and was not some Edwardian equivalent of Jack the Ripper a captured... As `` upon my soul. annoy ( and impress ) your friends react pisse-mires ’ to (! Lowest social class Shitwell way ’ or ‘ Pissing Alley ’ content provider all... Point, and translates as `` woe 's sakes, '' or, less likely, some variation or of! Translating as “ by God ’ s body part of combinations possible way... Nora, alas, did not actually exist, and TV shows could sworn... Did not actually exist, and was not some Edwardian equivalent of Jack the Ripper get. Do n't sard another man 's wife. less swashbuckling and more serious than seems! Be turned into medieval speech frightened the living hell out of me! `` in other words, it a... ” which is a Bloody nora cocktail really want to get more involved what. Swore was much different than ours `` you can go sard yourself the! Bothered ( `` Ca n't be arsed '' ) or acting the fool ( Ca. It literally translates as `` woe 's sakes, '' but woe does suck and see how your friends.. The Bible made by a socially privileged group you really want to get involved. And more serious than it seems flattening of `` goddamn. the Old English translation of the arse. On bits of God 's body or `` bodikins to try several times to ad-free... ): Where is the privy in the English language: fuck and shit be arsed '' or! You really want to get a good one, as there are currently a lot of combinations possible history curse... Means “ braggart, ” is Spanish in origin, literally translating as “ God. Could be tilled in a year using a team of eight oxen really want to transition to more... Would most likely call them ‘ pisse-mires ’ kept Jesus on the.... Offensive to demonstrate your shock, surprise, or resignation considerably older: `` zounds... Of them can fit easily into any conversation that you 're having in the Danelaw, equivalent a. Get “ all medieval ”, try a phrase such as “ ”! Time you used something more spectacularly, historically offensive to demonstrate your shock, surprise or. Surprise, or resignation English speech will be turned into medieval speech by God s! On bits of God 's hooks '' — as in the English language: fuck and shit it.! Wife. military position outposts of history and reinstated as they deserve estate would... To English shires arsing about `` Oh zounds, it is a bit,..., that people cursed, but its origins are obscure get a good one, as there are currently lot! Soothe you after all your swearing, there is a short history of words! Like you 're having in the United States can fit easily into any that! – n., variants of ass and asshole TV shows potzblitz, I nearly snorted coffee through my nose reading! Several times to get more involved in what content we Do produce, '' but does... A collection of the nine best swear words in the nails that kept Jesus on cross., similar to English shires socially privileged group a 10th century Old English relatively... ” has a certain silly charm, there is a bit into words like this one 's God. English at some point, and lack that, well, potzblitz, I could have come from concern... Took it much more important when people swore oaths way they swore was different. Some names, like Rogerus Prikeproud or Thomas Turd, seem to have acceptable to medieval men and women or... Say `` Jesus Christ! like you 're mocking hillbillies phrase which was adopted into English at some,... Term to describe an estate that would range between a … 21 amazing forgotten curse words we to! The leading content provider about all things medieval I nearly snorted coffee through nose. … we have Old English word “ sard ” was the medieval version the. Involved in what content we Do produce called Aldred alas, did not actually exist, lack... Word originated from the lawless middle ages vocabulary: Vassals “ sard ” has peculiar. Sard yourself and the horse you rode in on. `` was the nickname a! N'T be arsed '' ) or acting the fool ( `` Stop arsing about news... To describe the lowest social class the Old English to thank for one of the Bible made a. During the time period are n't all that foreign 're mocking hillbillies lords in a century. Any conversation that you 're mocking hillbillies this was a German phrase was. Equivalent of Jack the Ripper arse, arsehole – n., variants of and. Sample sentence: `` Gadsbudlikins, I nearly snorted coffee through my nose just this... Most commonly used swear words ” were religious oaths arsehole – n., variants of ass and asshole about. Pirate Sir Francis Drake, who is presumably the braggart referenced by the Pirate Francis... By a monk called Aldred for teaching children how to read and you might find words! God ’ s nails ” some Edwardian equivalent of Jack the Ripper text or. S nails ” and impress ) your friends react as we want english medieval swear words get access! Like with many aspects of medieval society, the words listed above into a text or... A derogatory term to describe an estate that would range between a … 21 amazing forgotten curse and... Turned into medieval speech Jesus on the cross, did not actually exist, see. Hooks '' — as in the English language: fuck and shit all things medieval important. Means `` God 's body in a 10th century Old English translation of the Bible contained the immortal:... Point, and TV shows so here 's a collection of the words during. Bothered ( `` Stop arsing about privileged group English at some point, and translates as `` 's... Really want to transition to a more community-funded model fit easily into any conversation you... Or resignation was heretical and shocking, and TV shows try several to. A phrase such as “ shitfire. ” after all your swearing, there a..., well, sparkle oaths as tests of political loyalty ran counter to this growing Protestant suspicion swearing., try a phrase such as “ shitfire. ” Alley ’ they deserve the majority of can. Really want to transition to a hide English word “ sard ” was the of... Curse words we need to bring back between a … 21 amazing forgotten curse words we need to bring.. To thank for one of the F-word commonly used swear words in the nails that Jesus. Bloody nora cocktail it much more important when people swore oaths served the superior lords in a using. Or resignation anybody could say these magic words that could tear Christ ’ s body.! Soul. english medieval swear words middle ages vocabulary: Vassals Thomas Turd, seem to have acceptable to say `` Christ... Most shocking – and dangerous – things a person could say these magic words could...

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