The fact that taboos like these erupt around the world, though not universally, suggests an explanation for how profanity comes about and how it comes to have similar contours. People around the world have taken these taboos and extended them from the world to the word. It’s not just defecation that’s taboo in many cultures; nor is it just talking about defecation. Rather, the words that describe defecation themselves are taboo, whether that’s how you happen to be using them in the moment or not.
