This weeks Korean Lesson

[Barklessdog]

NWS

Young children & pregnant women should not watch this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAkX1giNels&feature=player_embedded#at=67

[uwe]

This Anglo-American obsession with dragging the fine act of sexual intercourse into all kinds of foul language has always struck me as odd. Why can't you be motherf***ing normal like us and, verdammte Scheiße, curse from the anal side of things?!  

[Barklessdog]

I didn't know that Koreans really do not have this kind of Language, it's such a part our language.

[ack1961]

Funny video.

I went to a Linguistic school to learn Serbo-Croatian and one of the more interesting aspects of it was learning how ingrained in their conversation swearing is compared to us New Yorkers.  Their swearing is done more in phrases and mix-matching of putdowns (usually involving one's mother, father and/or family dog), rather than just saying "f*** off".

Example: I (nasty verb) your (descriptive adjective) (a beloved family member or dog) up/in their (body part) with my (nasty noun) on a (pick a day of the week).

[hieronymous]

Japanese is similar - the swears aren't based on body parts or sexual things. I find that many of them involve calling someone a "beast" - as in sub-human. "Baka" is probably the most common - it literally means deer, but in modern language is just used for fool, idiot, etc. Another one, "chikusho," is used like we use "damn it" etc., but it's originally a technical term for the animal realm in Buddhist reincarnation theory. There is a kind of untouchable class in Japan (technically illegal but still facing institutionalized discriminiation) and part of the derogatory term is "hi-nin" literally meaning "non-human."

Like the guy says in the video, if you literally translate some English swears, it just sounds childish.

[Barklessdog]

I never realized that it was an anglo thing. I assumed everyone thinks & acts like Americans-silly fool!

I do notice how a lot of J Rock Bands throw in the F word or other American sexual swearing-guess they do that just for us or to be cool ?

I never find swearing cool, its always unnecessary in songs, in my opinion.

[lowend1]

Swearing is mandated in certain situations - like while driving or unintentionally inflicting pain upon oneself.