Ye Genteel Olde Days: He Said a Bad Word!
I came across a book in which a time-traveling character managed to surprise her historical companions (from the 1700s) by teaching them the f-word. The word in question has been in the English language for a solid 500 years, and has actually been more popular and socially acceptable at various points in the past than it currently is.
This book seems to be an example of the idea that people from Ye Good Olde Days didn't swear, or that various vulgar words were super taboo. I think this perception comes from the more recent past (late 1800s to early 1900s), where Western culture went through a somewhat more 'buttoned-up' phase. There are also periods in history where particular subsets of swearing-- usually involving words of religious origin-- were much more scandalous than they are today. However, this can be very specific to time periods, and even to social classes or geographical areas within that, so solid research is key.
This book seems to be an example of the idea that people from Ye Good Olde Days didn't swear, or that various vulgar words were super taboo. I think this perception comes from the more recent past (late 1800s to early 1900s), where Western culture went through a somewhat more 'buttoned-up' phase. There are also periods in history where particular subsets of swearing-- usually involving words of religious origin-- were much more scandalous than they are today. However, this can be very specific to time periods, and even to social classes or geographical areas within that, so solid research is key.
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