What makes a word profane?

[alexzurhorst]

The word itself, or the meaning behind it?

[articx]

The meaning people gave to it.

[ktheodos]

both....in some way

[queenofnines]

Neither.  A "bad" word is completely dependent on what is societal acceptable at a given time.  Plenty of today's "bad" words used to be considered perfectly benign, and vice versa.

It's all  if you ask me.  Censorship is fake, stupid, and mostly unnecessary.  The only thing that matters is if what you speak is the truth.

[jordandog]

Neither.  A "bad" word is completely dependent on what is societal acceptable at a given time.  Plenty of today's "bad" words used to be considered perfectly benign, and vice versa.

It's all  if you ask me.  Censorship is fake, stupid, and mostly unnecessary.  The only thing that matters is if what you speak is the truth.

Excellent post, QON! I wonder how many realize the number of words in the Bible that would fall under censorship by today's 'rules'. Political correctness, which changes with the winds, will be the death of intelligence if we don't keep an eye on that BS too.

[sdecaro558]

What makes a word profane is neither the meaning nor the history of the word, but societal standards.  There are words that in the 1800's were completely acceptable that aren't at all acceptable now, some bad enough that people want to censor certain classic books (like the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain).  The same is true of gestures - the middle finger is bad in our society, but things that are completely acceptable here have different meanings elsewhere.  I believe it is in China that a "thumbs up" is actually an obscene gesture and an insult.  Language changes, and so, insults and profanity change.

[yosav]

the meaning even if someone said a word that wasnt bad but meant bad it would be profane to you

[hello_orange]

usually its the context the word is used in

[queenofnines]

Thanks, jordandog!   

[webmasterdn]

The tone they use it on. Example of a female dog and the blue lake you swim lol.

[bud1]

It depends in what part of the world you live in. 

[may7991]

In my perspective, it'll be the meaning and the word itself haha

[alisonhowey]

i think the only thing that makes a word profane is the meaning people gave to it. theres a lot of "bad" words that really dont mean bad things at all