Swearing

You are right about pedi, I am not sure why I wrote that.

If only the translations were conveniently included.

I will gladly PM them to you alongside the words if you ask, but I won’t talk dirty to you or anyone else unless they want me to.

hahahaha. :wink:

Steven, what would be the most accurate rendering of fannyflappeur ?

Multos ad tu gratias

Episcopo

culipalpator

Before deciding to seek re-election, The West Wing’s President Jed Bartlet rants in the National Cathedral over the death of his assistant, Dolores Landingham:
“Gratias tibi ago, domine. Haec credam a deo pio? A deo iusto, a deo scito? Cruciatus in crucem. Tuus in terra servus, nuntius fui. Officium perfeci. Cruciatus in crucem. Eas in crucem!”

I am not denying that I am more juvenile than any one here, but I have to side with jotapianus on this one. The only thing worse than dog latin is dog latin penibus ornata. Funny though this may be, I am sure that every one here strives to improve the quality of their latin, which can be accomplished by thorough study of A&G, rather than spending this time learning how to call some one a pooface in latin. Take a look in the mirror every one. Be honest with yourselves - do you hear that? Woof woof. Be productive, complete a prose composition available from textkit instead of PMing our unworthy moderator for the meanings of his silly list, take off your collars, rip down that Minimus bonus mus est and learn something please. benissimus’ bizarre efforts remind me of one friend long ago who used to write Käseglockende all over my german book, and I would always give retorts as immature as ben’s list above; this was a long time ago, thankfully I have grown up. I suggest you all do the same.

paedico … various forms of unnatural lewdness

Omigods. Not “unnatural lewdness”! That’s disgusting. How could you publish such a thing? You should all have your knackers removed, forthwith.

And as for all those ‘f’ and ‘c’ words, oh, and the ‘i’, ‘l’, ‘g’, oh! and my goodness, those ‘m’ and ‘p’ words … those letters should be removed from the alphabet. They offendeth me sorely.

i have to confess to incomprehension when it comes to taboo. Surely there is nothing obscene about any language, only the degenerate social attitudes that objections to it reflect.

To take an example: consider the Victorian objection to the visibility of womens legs or ankles. The extremities to which this was taken meant that piano and table legs had to be draped (it’s common to find a line of tack marks on pianos, where the drapery was attached). Which is the unhealthy item in this domestic entertainment tableau? Is it a) womens ankles, or b) the minds of people who think womens ankles are obscene?

Episcope, while I understand and respect your criticism of this post, I would suggest that there are multiple reasons why one might want to acquire a list of Latin curse words. Of course, I can not honestly claim that I have never felt the juvenile thrill of rendering English taboos in another language. Certainly, one should be aware that the wanton urge to scribble Latin curse words on paper is not far removed from the urge to scribble English curse words on bathroom walls. However, as I said, there are other motivations which, in my opinion, are far more compelling for those on this board who asked benissimus for his list. For one, it is simply practical to have accurate translations of words that appear in Catullus and other poets. “Respectable” dictionaries - at least conservative ones - might be prone to render these words in euphemisms.

But let us be honest: swear words are not used because of their literal meaning (or at least not only because of that), but rather because of the emotional punch they deliver. For me to say, “F*** you” obviously conveys little direct sense. If a Martian looked up “f***” in the dictionary and discovered that it meant “to copulate,” of course he would be quite confused. Dirty words, though no doubt etymologically connected with their root meaning, have earned their power (and penalty) through time and culture. The difference between “copulate” and its counterpart is the emotion communicated.

Therefore, failing to learn the swear words of a language robs one of an important means of communication. Certainly swearing is less dignified and witty than maintaing purely rational discourse. Sermo autem ratione gestus satis utilis non semper est. (Which should say, “But conversation conducted by reason is not always useful enough.”)

Surely there is nothing obscene about any language, only the degenerate social attitudes that objections to it reflect.

While I would not fully endorse sisyphus’ opinion, I do agree that language per se cannot be wicked. Are sounds wicked, after all? Are meanings of words? Again, let us consider the literal import of “excrement” and a less polite alternative. There is patently NO difference, aside from the one that counts, which is the emotional one (and perhaps other considerations which obtain, such as level of formality).

Obviously, language when used imprudently can annoy or even seriously injure people; thus swear words are like knives - sharp, effective, and requiring caution, as they can quickly yield gushing arteries. But their inherent danger does not mean that they cannot be used effectively, or at least appreciated for their emotional impact. To rob a language of its curse words is effectively to geld it, making it soft, effeminate, and impotent, no matter how even-tempered and elegant it may be.

Amabo vos, mihi parcite propter magnum studium, quod me fecit scribere nimium audaciter haec. Si ea falsa esse putabitis, nihil irae habebo; si ea vera esse putabitis, nihil gloriae capiam.

Ob patientiam multas gratias vobis!

David (cui dormiendum est!)

Immo gloriam cape! Macte, David! logicissime ac clarissime scripsisti; ita censeo ipse quoque.