The concept of bad language
Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2019 1:53 am
Her indoors sent me a clip from t’internet of a small child swearing, and it reminded me of an ongoing discussion that is as yet to come close to a conclusion.
Many Khmer that I know freely and innocently utter the more coarse words found in the English language. Many of us do so at times- swear like troopers, gutter mouths, and so forth. I try not to do so around passengers unless they really are behaving like mindless cunts, and fortunately a well honed bank-account-preservation instinct generally stops it from progressing. Some of us also still exercise greater caution about this around children. Let’s face it, in between torturing kittens and burning ants with a magnifying glass, there is an immense capacity for miss learning the most amusing and socially awkward flaws of their ‘betters’.
I remember the amusement and mild surprise some years ago when my niece came in from the cold, all of 4 or 5 years old, and with the same body language, arms flapping, as her father, (my mother’s other son) clearly stated ‘bugger me, it’s bleeding cold outside’.
Admittedly, it was sodding cold, but possibly the greater surprise was that she hadn’t yet fully adopted some of his more base and colourful language. Over the years, she’s adjusted these flaws in her character, and is now utterly foul mouthed and ignorant.
All too often, though, people use bad language almost as an alternative to punctuation. My mother’s other aberration being one.
But for those who learn English (and probably many other languages) as a second language, in a very informal way, it’s likely not that obvious that uttering ‘what the fuck?’ in front of a group of teachers and youngsters is not the best idea. Fortunately, SWMBO has managed to avoid such a social gaff*, but I do find myself tut-tutting on occasion, and reminding her that just ‘cos she learnt it from barang doesn’t mean it’s always acceptable.
Among the first priorities I (jokingly) set, along with being able to order simple food and alcohol in a local language, is learning the more expressive swear words. You know; the basics for survival. Apparently, it was quite impressive being able to say motherfucker in Bengali. With feeling, no less!
So what does Khmer language offer? And for those others who have ventured into a more family oriented existence, how have you dealt with the issue?
*i wonder if it is a social gaff anymore...
Many Khmer that I know freely and innocently utter the more coarse words found in the English language. Many of us do so at times- swear like troopers, gutter mouths, and so forth. I try not to do so around passengers unless they really are behaving like mindless cunts, and fortunately a well honed bank-account-preservation instinct generally stops it from progressing. Some of us also still exercise greater caution about this around children. Let’s face it, in between torturing kittens and burning ants with a magnifying glass, there is an immense capacity for miss learning the most amusing and socially awkward flaws of their ‘betters’.
I remember the amusement and mild surprise some years ago when my niece came in from the cold, all of 4 or 5 years old, and with the same body language, arms flapping, as her father, (my mother’s other son) clearly stated ‘bugger me, it’s bleeding cold outside’.
Admittedly, it was sodding cold, but possibly the greater surprise was that she hadn’t yet fully adopted some of his more base and colourful language. Over the years, she’s adjusted these flaws in her character, and is now utterly foul mouthed and ignorant.
All too often, though, people use bad language almost as an alternative to punctuation. My mother’s other aberration being one.
But for those who learn English (and probably many other languages) as a second language, in a very informal way, it’s likely not that obvious that uttering ‘what the fuck?’ in front of a group of teachers and youngsters is not the best idea. Fortunately, SWMBO has managed to avoid such a social gaff*, but I do find myself tut-tutting on occasion, and reminding her that just ‘cos she learnt it from barang doesn’t mean it’s always acceptable.
Among the first priorities I (jokingly) set, along with being able to order simple food and alcohol in a local language, is learning the more expressive swear words. You know; the basics for survival. Apparently, it was quite impressive being able to say motherfucker in Bengali. With feeling, no less!
So what does Khmer language offer? And for those others who have ventured into a more family oriented existence, how have you dealt with the issue?
*i wonder if it is a social gaff anymore...