Some good friends of mine have been teasing me for studying Latin, a dead language, and I thought it would be funny to cuss at them in Latin next time they do so (we swear at each other enough in English, so it won’t be taken personally). Does anyone know any obscenities that I could use?
This may help you warm up (warning: foul language):
http://www.orbilat.com/Languages/Latin/Vocabulary/Latin-Forbidden.html
But if I were you I’d double check each of the words I’d choose in a dictionary, since the website mentions no source for the definitions.
You’ll also find some curses in some of Catullus’ poems.
Tsk, tsk. Poor Romans. Had to lift so much sexual vocab from the Greeks.
The standard reference for the racier corners of Latin vocabulary is The Latin Sexual Vocabulary, J.N. Adams, 1982. Martial and Catullus become clearer.
Wow, the Greeks must have much more foul words. Do they have worse words than irrum*** and pedic*** ? 
Hmmm… and where did the greeks lift their from?
I don’t want to drive the topic away, so…
Um. The second is Greek. And yes.
Hmmm… and where did the greeks lift their from?
Native genius. Also, vivid and creative compounds.
eundem.
If the sapientiores won’t help you, maybe I could. I only know some (some of the ones used by Catullus), but I’d need permission from the moderators to list them here together with their English meanings.
Obviously, slang and profanity represent language at its most primal and raw – it is unfortunate that they are often omitted from studies of foreign languages.
I am very interested in this subject. Cyborg, you might avoid the wrath of the moderators if you substitute for the plain anglo-saxon translation a more neutral word, perhaps adding a number from 1-5 indicating level of offense. For instance, “to copulate” could replace one common curse word, and “5” could indicate that it is highly offensive.
Just a suggestion. Of course, it would be preferable to present the uncensored list. For our scholarly instruction, of course.
David
Well, I’ve just noticed that the words I’ve seen Catullus making use of are mostly already explained in the link I posted before. Far from being an expert on the subject, this is what I know so far from catullus readings:
cinaedus (he uses this a lot - i learned it as “unchaste, pervert”), moecha, pathicus, scortum.
The ones who are not listed in the given website are: cacatus (“sh**ty”) and defututus (“worn out by debauchery” - he once calls a girl that).
I’m sorry I can’t help more, I’m just a beginner.
I hardly take issue with the writing of ancient curses written in a non-native tongue, and I doubt anyone would be offended. Chances are that if someone recognizes the meaning of the word they have already looked it up themselves and cannot reasonably fault you for knowing it. Of course many Latin words for body parts come into English, but they are usually more clinical than dirty. We have already seen some ancient naughty words used (poorly) in this very forum, on at least one occasion to very humorous effect.
Cyborg’s link had a couple words that I was not familiar with, but it gave the wrong genders and gender endings to several words and I could not find a couple of the words in any of my classical dictionaries. Some are weak insults and some highly vulgar, and some are not inherently vulgar, while several others have entirely harmless alternate meanings, but here is my list… so far:
…and they aren’t ALL Greek borrowings 
, comments in brackets, alternate spellings in parentheses. If you want the meanings, ask me in private.
ancillariolus, -i M.
bucco, -onis M. [mildly abusive]
caco, -are, -aui, -atum [somewhat rude]; a pearl… Martial: faciem durum, Phoebe, cacantis habes
cacaturio, -ire, -iui, -itus
cacatus, -us M.
cacatus, -a, -um
catamitus, -i (catameitus) M.
ceueo, ceuere, ceui [offensive]
choeros, -i M. [prob. rude]
cicer, ciceris N. [prob. rude]
cinaedus, -i [abusive]
cinaedulus, -i
cinaedus, -a, -um
clunis, -is C. [not rude]
colei, -orum M. [informal, perh rude]
coleatus, -a, -um
coleos habere
criso, -are
culus, -i M. [rude]
cunio, -ire [not rude]
cunnus, -i M.
cunnilingus, -i M.
cunnio, -onis M.
cunnuliggeter
follis, -is M. [rude]
futuo, futuere, futui, fututus [rude]
defututus, -a, -um
fututio, -onis F.
fututor, -oris M.
fututrix, -icis adj.
gremium, -i N.
ilia, ilium (sometimes in singular but defective) N.
irrumo, -are, -aui, -atum (irrimo) [very abusive]
irrumatio, -onis
irrumator, -oris
leno, lenonis M. what would Leno think?
lenocinium, -i N.
lenonius, -a, -um
lumbus, -i M. [not rude]
lustra, -orum (lustrum) N.
lustror, -ari, -atus sum
lutum, -i N. [abusive]
lupa, -ae F.
lupanar, -aris N.
lupatria, -ae F.
lupor, lupari
lupula, -ae F.
masturbor, -ari, -atus sum
masturbator, -oris M.
meio, meere, mi(n)xi, mi(n)ctum
mentula, -ae F. [obscene, sometimes abusive]
mentulatus, -a, -um another pearl: deus Priapo mentulatior non est
merdae, -arum (merda) F. [rude]
meretrix, -icis F.
meretricie adv.
meretricius, -a, -um
meretricula, -ae F. [derogatory]
moecha, -ae F.
moechas, moechados F.
moechimonium, -i N.
moechisso, -are
moechocinaedus, -i M.
moechor, -ari, -atus sum
moechus, -i M.
muliercula, -ae F. [abusive]
muliero, -are, -aui, -atum
mutto, -onis (muto) M.
mutinus, -a, -um (moetinus)
mutunium, -i (muttonium; mutinium) N.
mutuniatus, -a, -um
nates, -ium (natis, -is) F. [not rude]
paedico, -are, -aui, -atum (pedico) [abusive]
paedicator, -oris (pedicator) M.
paedico, -onis (pedico) M.
pallaca, -ae F.
paelex, -icis (pelex; pellex) F. [post-classical]
pathicus, -a, -um [abusive]
pedem/pedes tollere
pedo, pedere, pepedi, peditum [probably not very offensive]
penis, -is M.
prurio, -ire
prurigo, -ginis F.
pudenda, -orum N. (also pars pudenda)
pullus, -i M.
scortum, -i N.
scortillum, -i N.
scortor, -ari, -atus sum
scrotum, -i N.
sopio, -onis M. [rude]
testis, -is M. Pliny: quod amas amato testibus praesentibus
testiculus, -i M.
uagina, -ae F.
uerpus, -a, -um
uerpa, -ae F.
uomer, uomeris M.
Impressive list, bennissime!!! 
You’re, like, shall we say… a collector? 
Some of the words need to be wound up in phrases to make good insults, I think . . .
But I reckon this thread is evolving into a discussion of “foul” language in general… inter urinam et faeces nascimur
Perhaps Keegan could use this one:
pleni stercoris estis
Cheers to all.
Yes, that’s why I recommended double-checking each word before calling someone a pathicus. 
Wow, that’s a big list, ruberent quique uultuum romanorum.
Thanks for the whole list, benissime!
Interesting. L&S (click) and two dictionaries of mine say it is pedo, pedere, pepedi, peditum.
How juvenile - This nonsense explains your previous post
nonne loqueris umquam, jotapiane, clementer? quod maius - possisne loqui latine?
Vero; semper alios nobiscum latine loqui quaerimus; si ut Benissimus dixit te efficis ut simul bisue clementer loqui, alium inter nos habere nos certe delectet.
I certainly intend to store this list on my computer. No doubt, I will find it useful. . . in a variety of ways. If only the translations were conveniently included. I suspect that many of the more reputable dictionaries will translate such words delicately, to say the least.
David
PS - And what is juvenile about wanting to know a language in and out? I am interested in Latin as it was spoken domi as well as in libro.
I like that! 
If only the translations were conveniently included. I suspect that many of the more reputable dictionaries will translate such words delicately, to say the least.
True! How about this from Lewis & Short
paedico (pedico , Auct. Priap. 68 ), are, v. a. [παιδικός],
I. to practise unnatural vice.
I. Lit.: amores, Cat. 21, 4 : puerum, Mart. 11, 94, 6 .–Of various forms of unnatural lewdness, Mart. 11, 104, 17; id. 7, 67, 1. –
II. Transf., of the tunic, Mart. 11, 99, 2.
“various forms of lewdness” . . . The Greeks, cf. the reference, did not find this unnatural, did they?
PS - And what is juvenile about wanting to know a language in and out? I am interested in Latin as it was spoken > domi > as well as > in libro> .
I agree completely.