Vilnius University Philology Professor Antanas Smetona says that even as there are no “bad” illnesses for physicians, there are no “bad” words for linguists. In his view, swearing is a natural phenomenon of language. In a recent podcast, he explained that language is used not only to communicate information, but also to convey emotions. What are swearwords, their function in language, the reasons for their use? And why do Lithuanians swear mostly in Slavic languages?
In Lithuanian there are more terms of endearment, specifically diminutives, than swear words. Lithuanians as a nation do not have a tendency to swear, yet even when they do, a distinction should be made as to what are swearwords, and what are not, so that the latter may have the “right to life” without censorship. For example, the word sh– (“šūdas”) is a swearword for most Lithuanians, but not for Žemaičiai (Samogitians), for whom it is a normal word, like garbage. The definition of swearwords is much clearer in languages such as English and Russian, which have been well-researched in this regard.
In Lithuanian dictionaries, swearwords are words or phrases restricted by social correctness. They are employed to insult, to debase or to express anger. Prof. Smetona distinguishes three categories of swearwords: the words for the male sexual organ, the female sexual organ and the act of coupling. When meant in a vulgar way, they are swearwords.
Using this criteria, Lithuanians do not have many Lithuanian swearwords, and mostly revert to Russian, which is not unusual as the terms are reiterated in every language. It is likely, says Smetona, that Russian swearwords came into Lithuanian through the jargon of criminals – in jails, this was mostly Russian. The paradox appears in the younger generations today, who do not know or understand the Russian language, but still swear in Russian.
Even so, swearwords are not considered unncessary debris of a language – it becomes garbage when it is used daily and without purpose, as an element of every sentence. If a person swears upon experiencing sudden pain, that is the expression of a negative emotion. Smetona speaks of a interesting experiment, where two groups of people were asked to plunge their hands into icy water. One group was allowed to swear, the other was told not to. Those who swore were able to keep their hands in the icy water nearly twice as long as those who didn’t swear. Thus, if swearing works as an anestethic, how can it be unncessary? As long as it is used appropriately.
People assume that swearing is common to the uneducated, but Smetona says that everyone swears, mostly in the highest and lowest classes of society. Surprisingly, he associates swearing with city dwelling, where the social mores of country living become blurred and more primitive.
The meaning of obscene and highly negative swearing is more than just the expression of emotion. For example, the pragmatic use of swearwords is linguistic agression, intended to insult or offend. There are situations where this is necessary, as in the case of the defenders of Snake Island in the war on Ukraine.
Swearwords are also used as oaths, without any practical purpose. Then they aren’t necessarily swearwords, but pejorative terms, often directed at oneself – in which case they help to create endorphins.
Swearwords are also common as a fillers, which don’t reflect on a person’s morals but on his or her lack of linguistic skills and the coordination between thought process and speech. This is true of phrases such as “you know”. They sometimes function as a type of pronoun, for example with the word “sh–”, as in “Get your sh– together” or “What is that sh–?”. According to Smetona, writers and journalists use swearwords to characterize various social levels.
Children usually first hear swearwords at school, where they begin social interaction. Of course their language knowledge comes from their families, with their varying traditions and experiences. In some families, euphemisms are used to describe sexual organs, while others use correct anatomical terms, or vulgar words. In Smetona’s opinion, parents should prepare pre-schoolers for such eventualities to avoid confusion.
In this article, Dr. Smetona does not address the true Lithuanian oaths and swearwords that are vestiges of our ancient pagan traditions, such as “perkūnas” (thunder), “rupūžė” (toad), or the source of evil – “velnias” (devil). Research continues.
