Charles Thompson, E
asked:
When the author says that the sentence "Fuck you" has no subject, I wonder if it's another way of saying "You be fucked". And what exactly is the meaning of "Fuck you"? Is "fuck" in this instance an action or state of being verb? I find it a little strange that the author doesn't delve into the meaning at all.
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What the F: What Swearing Reveals About Our Language, Our Brains, and Ourselves,
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Kim
"You" would be the object in the sentence. Fuck is the verb. Who is to do this act? The person saying it? A motorcycle gang? A herd of elk? Maybe it's a powerful sentence due to the mystery of the fucker.
Jiyoon
You might find the answer in the chapter on swearing in Steven Pinker's "The Stuff of Thought." There, Pinker says that the phrase was originally "God damn you," but the "damn" was later replaced with a similar expletive, "f*ck." That's why "F*ck you" has been used in that particular sentence structure ever since. You'll find more explanation on the subject in the book.
Charles Thompson, E
Not sure that answers the question, Kim; rather than the sentence saying "I fuck you," it appears to be saying something like "I hope you get fucked" or perhaps "I hope you end up in a fucked up state." The subject would appear to be as insubstantial as fate, karma, or circumstances; or perhaps the author is correct, and there is no subject.
Courtney Andresen
That's an interesting question about the meaning... I haven't read the book yet but maybe I'll have a better response after I do. Does he not discuss the different colloquial uses of the word 'fuck'? Etymology? Change in meaning over time? I'm looking forward to reading this at some point! :)
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