You learn something new every day
By Thoreau
I knew that linguists had reconstructed portions of the original Indo-European language. I did not know that they had reconstructed the swear words. I guess it makes sense, though. Linguists are as human as anybody else. Get a bunch of them to work on reconstructing an ancestral language, and eventually somebody will ask “What the fuck?” And then they’ll have to answer the question.
It must make for interesting conversation at conferences. ”So, how’s your research going?” ”It’s all bullshit, man.”
Strangely, though, Rule 34 does not apply to Indo-European linguistics.
Comment by Priest —
December 18, 2013 @ 9:18 pm
Good to see you’re off to a blazing start on your sabbatical.
Comment by Thoreau —
December 18, 2013 @ 9:21 pm
I need some amusement while editing a book chapter.
Anyway, I would love to see somebody in historical linguistics write a paper titled “What the fuck?”
Comment by Jon Lennox —
December 19, 2013 @ 9:26 pm
On Rule 34: the PIE roots for “pornography” are known, of course, but they mean something like “sell carve”.
Comment by GMP —
December 21, 2013 @ 10:40 pm
I am amused to see that the modern word for “fuck” in my native language (the imperative form could be transliterated as “yebo”, from infinitive “yebati”) closely resembles the original Indo-European language version (”eibho”).
Also it’s interesting that one of the Indo-European language words for shit, “smerda”, closely resembles the modern word for stench (”smrad”). For instance, someone whom you’d like to call Stinky would be called “Smrda” which sound exactly like the ancient word for shit.
Ah, ancestors.
Comment by Thoreau —
December 22, 2013 @ 12:19 am
Certain things are universal. It’s comforting to know that if we were to run into our ancestors and curse up a storm they would know exactly what we’re saying.