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Nine Nasty Words

By John Mcwhorter

Product Image: Nine Nasty Words

Nine Nasty Words

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Description
One of the preeminent linguists of our time examines the realms of language that are considered shocking and taboo in order to understand what imbues curse words with such power--and why we love them so much. Profanity has always been a deliciously vibrant part of our lexicon, an integral part of being human. In fact, our ability to curse comes from a different part of the brain than other parts of speech--the urgency with which we say "f&*k!" is instead related to the instinct that tells us to flee from danger. Language evolves with time, and so does what we consider profane or unspeakable. Nine Nasty Words is a rollicking examination of profanity, explored from every angle: historical, sociological, political, linguistic. In a particularly coarse moment, when the public discourse is shaped in part by once-shocking words, nothing could be timelier.
Product details
Edition:
1
Number of Pages:
288
Release Date:
2021-05-04
Publication Date:
2021-05-04
Publisher:
Penguin Putnam Inc
Languages:
Original: English
ISBN10:
0593188799
ISBN13:
9780593188798
Weight:
308 g
Height:
129 cm
Width:
182 cm
Thickness:
30 cm
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