What is *Nine Nasty Words* by John McWhorter about?

*Nine Nasty Words* explores the history, evolution, and cultural impact of English profanity, focusing on nine taboo words. John McWhorter, a Columbia University linguist, traces how these terms shifted from religious or sexual taboos to modern emotional expressions, examining their linguistic roots and societal roles. The book blends humor with academic rigor, revealing how swear words reflect human psychology and social change.

Who should read *Nine Nasty Words*?

This book is ideal for language enthusiasts, historians, and readers curious about the intersection of culture and linguistics. It appeals to those interested in etymology, social psychology, or the nuanced role of taboo language in shaping identity and communication. McWhorter’s accessible style makes it suitable for both academic and casual audiences.

Is *Nine Nasty Words* worth reading?

Yes, *Nine Nasty Words* is a compelling read for its witty yet scholarly take on profanity. McWhorter’s analysis of how swear words evolve—from medieval blasphemy to modern-day expletives—offers fresh insights into language mechanics and societal norms. Reviewers praise its balance of entertainment and education, calling it “rollicking” and “thought-provoking.”

How does *Nine Nasty Words* explain the origins of the F-word?

McWhorter traces the F-word’s roots to Proto-Germanic and Old English, where it initially described literal action. By the 15th century, it became a vulgarism, later evolving into a versatile emotional intensifier. The book highlights its grammatical flexibility, showing how it functions as a noun, verb, or adjective depending on context.

What does *Nine Nasty Words* reveal about the N-word’s transformation?

The book analyzes the N-word’s journey from a racial slur to a contested term reclaimed in African American Vernacular English (AAVE). McWhorter explores its grammatical evolution into a reflexive pronoun (e.g., “my n****”) and debates around its modern usage, emphasizing its complex role in identity and power dynamics.

How does the brain process swear words according to *Nine Nasty Words*?

McWhorter explains that profanity activates the amygdala, linked to fight-or-flight responses, rather than standard language centers. This neural wiring gives swear words their visceral impact, making them uniquely suited to express raw emotion or pain. The book ties this to the F-word’s phonetic sharpness, which mimics distress signals.

How does *Nine Nasty Words* compare religious and secular profanity?

The book contrasts older religious taboos (e.g., “damn”) with modern secular ones (e.g., racial slurs). McWhorter argues that as society secularized, profanity shifted from blasphemy to words violating social equality norms. This transition reflects broader cultural values, with today’s taboos often centered on identity rather than morality.

What are the criticisms of *Nine Nasty Words*?

Some linguists critique McWhorter’s focus on European language structures and his subjective definitions of “complexity.” Others argue his analysis overlooks non-English profanity patterns. However, most praise the book’s accessibility and depth, even if they dispute specific linguistic frameworks.

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"Nine Nasty Words" del linguista John McWhorter ti accompagna in un viaggio avvincente attraverso l'evoluzione del turpiloquio. Ti sei mai chiesto perché certe parole ci sconvolgono? La sua narrazione nell'audiolibro, lodata per il suo stile teatrale, rende il linguaggio tabù intellettualmente affascinante, trasformando persino la complessa storia della "N-word" in una comprensione culturale essenziale.

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Capitolo 1

The Power of Profanity: When Words Become Weapons

Have you ever wondered why certain words make us gasp, blush, or lower our voices? Nine Nasty Words takes us on a fascinating journey through the linguistic underworld of English profanity. John McWhorter, the beloved linguist whose melodious voice graces NPR's airwaves and whose insights illuminate the pages of The Atlantic, has crafted what The New York Times calls "one of the most enjoyable books ever written about language." This bestseller has captivated readers from Stephen Fry to Trevor Noah, who praised it as "the perfect combination of scholarly and irreverent." Beyond mere entertainment, the book reveals something profound about human psychology-how our taboos have shifted from religious blasphemy to bodily functions to slurs against marginalized groups, mirroring our evolving social consciousness. What makes these words so powerful isn't their meaning but their transgression-saying what we're told we shouldn't.

Capitolo 2

From Holy Hell to Everyday Expression

Today, "damn" and "hell" occupy an awkward position in our profanity hierarchy-words we still classify as "bad" but that hardly feel truly dirty anymore. This wasn't always the case. These words once carried genuine power as religious taboos, considered so offensive that writers would substitute "d___" rather than spell them out. The transformation of these words reveals how profanity evolves. When McWhorter was eight, his father described "damn" as something reserved for extreme anger, yet adults used it casually all around him. This gap between formal classification and actual usage has existed for generations. As early as the 1880s, publisher Joseph Pulitzer favored inserting "damn" into compound words like "indegoddampendent," and by the 1910s, hobos used "damn" and "hell" freely while shielding women from "real" bad words. Even the supposed controversy around "Gone with the Wind" is misunderstood. Producer David O. Selznick wasn't fined for Rhett Butler's famous line but simply had the Motion Picture Production Code amended to permit these milder profanities in appropriate contexts. Early talkies were surprisingly liberal with these words-in 1929's "Glorifying the American Girl," a character casually grunts "Dammit!" twice. What made these words taboo was their connection to sacred oaths. In medieval society, swearing meant making solemn promises to God-a practice taken with profound seriousness. Using divine names casually was considered deeply offensive, which explains why the commandment against taking the Lord's name in vain appears before prohibitions against murder and adultery. This religious taboo spawned countless euphemisms as people sought emotional release without divine offense. "Zounds" derived from "by his wounds," "gadzooks" from "God's hooks" (the crucifixion nails), and "odds bodkins" from "God's body." "Gosh" and "golly" replaced "God," while "cripes" and "jeepers creepers" disguised "Christ" and "Jesus Christ." Modern speakers increasingly bypass these euphemisms entirely. Academic studies show "oh my God" gaining ground since the 1930s, with white women leading this linguistic shift. By 2012, Mitt Romney's use of "gosh" and "gee" made him sound quaintly old-fashioned rather than appropriately reverent. Like "God bless you" after sneezing (originally a plague-era protection), "damn" and "hell" have become disconnected from their religious origins, retaining only their emotional force. They've evolved from sincere condemnations to mere expressions of annoyance, demonstrating how language transforms as social taboos shift.

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Capitolo 3

What Is It About Fuck?

The word "fuck" carries a unique power that has persisted through centuries. Even in progressive settings, like McWhorter's childhood Montessori classroom, writing this word crossed a serious line. In 1928, editor Maxwell Perkins couldn't bring himself to speak it when discussing Hemingway's manuscript, and even by 1962, Rob and Laura Petrie were horrified to learn their son had written it. Despite cultural shifts, the FCC's condemnation of Bono's unbleeped "fuckin' brilliant" at the 2003 Golden Globes shows the word still elicits a certain reverence. Unlike many earthy English words with clear Anglo-Saxon origins, "fuck" emerges mysteriously from history. Its earliest unequivocal use comes from a monk's 1528 annotation calling someone a "fuckin abbott"-notably writing "O d." (for "damned") while spelling out "fuckin," revealing a shift in profanity priorities. Earlier religious profanity focused on holy matters, while bodily functions became taboo later with the Reformation's inward focus. The word appears in 1503 Scots poetry ("fukkit"), in a 1475 coded poem about friars who "fuck wives of Ely," and even earlier in medieval names like Roger Fuckbythenavel (1310) and Henry Fuckbeggar (late 1200s). Medieval England used sexual terms casually across all social strata-people worried about profaning God, not body parts. Despite "fuck" appearing in medieval English, tracing it further back hits a wall. No Old English texts contain the expected ancestral form "fucan." The closest is "fician" (to deceive), which would have evolved into "fike"-possibly related but with the wrong vowel. Many scholars believe "fuck" might derive from German "ficken" (to rub), but this theory has problems: why would the vowel change from "i" to "u"? And why would English borrow a sex term from German when languages rarely import words for universal concepts they already have terms for? After appearing in 13th-century records and peaking in the 1500s, "fuck" mysteriously vanishes from print while thriving in spoken language. The word disappeared from dictionaries between 1795 and 1965 despite clear evidence of widespread use. Writers found creative workarounds-Norman Mailer's soldiers said "fug," West Side Story used "buggin'" and "krup you," and Hemingway wrote "muck" in his novels while using "fuck" freely in private letters. By 1939, while "damn" became acceptable enough for Rhett Butler, "fuck" remained forbidden as profanity shifted from religious cursing to sexual taboos. The word's distinctive sound contributes to its staying power-with its single syllable ending in a consonant, the combination of "f" and "k" linked by a hearty vowel creates a satisfying utterance that outlasted competitors like "sard," "dight," and "swive." Beyond mere emphasis, "fuck" demonstrates remarkable versatility. It can express destruction ("fuck it up"), deception ("fucked me over"), dismissal ("Fuck it!"), intimidation ("Get your fucking hands off!"), and down-to-earth authenticity ("He helped build the fuckin' space shuttle!"). In casual speech, it's evolving toward becoming a question word, with phrases like "What the fuck is that?" condensing to "Fuck's that?" in rapid speech.

Capitolo 4

The Complex Life of Shit

Our culture's discomfort with bodily functions can appear bizarre in historical context. In the 1933 film "42nd Street," Ginger Rogers' showgirl character stops herself from saying "belly" and substitutes "tummy" while singing "Shuffle Off to Buffalo"-despite this being an era when movie characters freely said "damn" and "hell." This demonstrates the peculiar taboos around bodily references even when religious profanity had become more acceptable. Despite popular myths claiming "shit" originated as a shipping acronym ("ship high in transit"), the word has ancient roots in Old English before 1000 CE. It's part of a family of similar words in Germanic languages like Dutch "schijt," Swedish "skit," and German "Scheisse." All trace back to a Proto-Indo-European root "skei" meaning "cut off" or "slice." Over time, this evolved to refer to defecation as a form of "cutting off" (comparable to modern expressions like "pinch a loaf"). In medieval England, "shit" was used as casually as "poop" is today. Living on the land with animals, people had little reason for prudishness about bodily functions. The transformation began after the Reformation, when Protestantism emphasized avoiding sin through personal discipline, casting the body as waywardly inclined. Simultaneously, architectural innovations created more private spaces in homes, reinforcing the idea that bodily matters should remain private. The verb "shit" presents a curious grammatical quirk: it lacks a comfortable past tense. Middle English used "shote," but that's lost today. "Shitted" feels awkward, while "shat" (modeled after sit/sat) always seems playful rather than natural-it was artificially created about two hundred years ago. This makes "shit" a defective verb, with no vanilla past tense that doesn't provoke a slight giggle, which explains why many default to "took a shit" instead! The word "shit" has evolved far beyond its literal meaning through metaphorical extension, similar to how "back" developed from referring to a body part into various positional and temporal meanings. Like branches on a family tree, "shit" has flowered into four distinct metaphorical directions. The most immediate metaphorical extension connects to the noxious nature of feces, leading to expressions where "giving someone shit" means haranguing them. Paradoxically, "shit" also represents authenticity-the universal, unfiltered reality beneath pretense. This explains why someone excellent at something is "the shit" or why the best music or drugs are "the real shit." This extension has even transformed "shit" into a reflexive pronoun of sorts-"get your shit together" parallels "get yourself together," with "shit" referring to one's authentic self or essence. The most prolific branch extends the ickiness of shit to convey denigration and belittlement. Beyond obvious uses like "He dances like shit," it's evolved into a dismissive pronoun in expressions like "I don't put up with that shit," where "that shit" simply means "that" with vulgar dismissal. From lowliness comes humility, explaining why possessions are called "shit"-"I need somewhere to put my shit." This usage functions as a linguistic softener, acknowledging the humble nature of everyday possessions. Children's acquisition of profanity mirrors the historical evolution of curse words from religious to bodily. Like embryonic development recapitulating evolution, kids process "bad words" in stages. They intuitively sense that some words are "hard liquor"-a seven-year-old knows the "fuck chapter" is taboo without explanation. When asked about bad words, young children often smugly list "poop," "poopy," and "fart"-they've internalized that bodily functions are profane, having moved beyond religious profanity but not yet encountering slurs.

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Capitolo 5

The Remarkable Journey of Ass

The word "ass" presents a linguistic curiosity-why do we call certain equines by the same term as buttocks? It's a linguistic accident: the animal term "ass" has ancient origins, while the anatomical "ass" evolved from "arse," which has a completely different etymology. British English still uses "arse" (recall Eliza's "Move your bloody arse!" in Pygmalion), while American English dropped the "r." The word "arse" appears confidently in early Middle English, as in a 1325 poem: "He nabbe nout a smok hire foule ers to hude" ("She didn't have a smock to hide her dirty posterior"). The transformation from "arse" to "ass" reflects a key aspect of British English where "r" sounds dissolve when not at the beginning of words-just as "car" became "cah" and "park" became "pahk." This resulted in the accidental similarity between the equine term and the anatomical one, which Shakespeare likely exploited when naming Bottom in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." The taboo status of "ass" solidified in the 1700s when bourgeois sensibilities began censoring body parts, leading to a proliferation of euphemisms: the French "derriere," the vague "backside," "rear," "bottom," and the tailor's term "seat." Jewish culture contributed its own euphemisms like "tuchus" from Hebrew "toches" meaning "under," which evolved into the playful "tushy" and "tush." The essence of "ass" in English harbors a certain democratic potency-like excretion, it's something universal and humbling. While "ass" makes us think "dirty," its cousin "butt" is crude but more negotiable-children can joke about butts, but we'd blanch at them discussing asses. Dr. Seuss knew this distinction when he used "Oliver Boliver Butt" in "Too Many Daves," as "Oliver Dolliver Ass" would never have been published. The suffix "-ass" with adjectives creates a subtle but vivid descriptive ability. Rather than simply meaning "very," as in "big-ass house," it conveys something unexpected or remarkable. You wouldn't say "red-ass piano" to mean extremely red, but to indicate surprise at a piano being red at all. This usage falls into what linguists call pragmatics-conveying attitude rather than literal meaning. The phrase "I'm gonna fire your ass" demonstrates how "ass" has complicated English pronouns beyond what grammar books teach. Though structurally "ass" appears to be the object, it's not actually referring to someone's buttocks separated from the rest of them. The accent pattern confirms this-we say "I'm gonna fire yer ass" not "I'm gonna fire your ASS," accenting it exactly as we would the pronoun "you." This means "your ass" functions as a pronoun meaning "you," creating a parallel pronoun system in colloquial English. The term "asshole" evolved from a simple semantic meaning (comparing people to excrement) in the 1950s to its current pragmatic usage describing a specific moral transgressor. Early examples from the 1950s and 1960s show "asshole" merely meaning "jerky" or "shitty" people. Only starting in the late 1970s did the meaning deepen to its modern definition of someone who knowingly transgresses social norms.

Capitolo 6

The Genital Taboo

English lacks neutral terms for genitalia, unlike most languages. While we have formal Latin terms like "penis" and "vagina" (adopted in the 1600s) and vulgar slang terms, we lack comfortable middle-ground words. Old English once had neutral terms like "pintel" for penis and "cunt" (then an ordinary word), but Renaissance notions of privacy rendered genital terms profane. Modern English speakers must choose between clinical terminology or vulgar slang, with no neutral equivalent to everyday words like "hand" or "eye." While slang terms for the penis are numerous, "dick" has emerged as the dominant term. Its origin traces to the nickname for Richard, which developed through medieval English humor that found changing initial consonants amusing. The first clear anatomical usage appears in an 1888 collection of salty vignettes, though the casual reference suggests it had been common in speech long before. After becoming established as an anatomical reference, "dick" developed metaphorical extensions. It came to mean "nothing" ("He doesn't know dick") and later referred to an obnoxious person ("He's a dick"). Interestingly, "prick" occupied this insulting meaning earlier, dating back to 1598, while "dick" didn't take on this connotation until the 1960s. While penile slang often draws from birds, vaginal terms tend toward the cuddlier side of the animal kingdom, particularly cats. The term "pussy" first appears in anatomical reference in 1699 in the collection "Wit and Mirth." The feline comparison seems natural given the texture, warmth, fondness, and private nature of both cats and the female anatomy. Beyond its anatomical meaning, "pussy" evolved to become a judgmental term for men. This transformation followed a complex path: first used as an affectionate term for women, then as a disrespectful term for gay men (reflecting the unfortunate association between homosexuality and weakness), and finally morphing into a general insult for any man perceived as lacking courage. American and British usage of "pussy" diverged significantly. In America, the feline meaning has largely faded, with the sexual reference dominating to the point where the word is considered profane. In Britain, however, the cat reference persists alongside the sexual one, allowing for double entendres like Mrs. Slocombe's famous "pussy" references in "Are You Being Served?" Unlike "pussy" with its playful diminutive ending and cute animal association, "cunt" emerged as a starker, meaner term. Its evolution into perhaps the most taboo word in English (other than racial slurs) represents a kind of progress, reflecting post-1970s feminist consciousness about the devaluation of women. The etymology of "cunt" remains one of the murkiest among profanities. It appears fully formed in early Middle English, suggesting it had long been in use without leaving written evidence. Early appearances show it used clinically rather than profanely-appearing in medical texts around 1400 and in Scottish poetry from 1505 mentioning folk remedies. By the 1600s, the word had evolved into a disrespectful term for women, as Samuel Pepys documented in his diary.

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Capitolo 7

The Word That Shall Not Be Spoken

The N-word has achieved a unique status as modern English's most forbidden term. When Black Harvard professor Randall Kennedy titled his 2002 book using the actual word, he faced condemnation from many Black scholars concerned about normalizing its use. Public figures who use it face severe consequences-Michael Richards' career was damaged after using it during a stand-up routine in 2006, even though he was quoting hypothetical speech. Paula Deen lost her Food Network contract in 2013 after admitting to past usage. The etymology of the N-word is relatively straightforward, deriving from Latin's word for black, "niger." English acquired it from Spanish's "negro," which was applied to Africans during colonial exploration. The Anglicized pronunciation "nigger" emerged naturally, following the same pattern by which English speakers transform foreign words to fit more comfortably in Anglophone mouths. A transitional period emerged between casual usage and complete taboo. Into the twentieth century, as Black Americans demanded dignity especially after serving in World War I, the word began shifting from neutral to impolite, though not yet profane. Early Hollywood films reveal this transition-while racism was rampant, the word itself was largely absent from American cinema until the 1960s. The word's complete taboo status solidified only at the end of the twentieth century. This occurred as Generation X came of age-the first Americans raised entirely in the post-civil rights era, who viewed legalized segregation as a bygone barbarism and for whom overt racist attitudes were socially unacceptable. Beyond being merely a slur, the N-word has a complex history of appropriation among Black Americans. Like other marginalized groups who reclaim slurs as terms of affection, Black people's use of the word creates intimacy by acknowledging shared vulnerability to abuse while asserting their resilience. This appropriation isn't recent-ex-slaves interviewed in the 1930s used the term casually as their default word for Black people, in contexts ranging from contempt to affection. The appropriation of the N-word by Black people doesn't erase its original meaning but creates a parallel one. What complicates matters is that Black English has distinct sound patterns, including the elision of final r-sounds. This creates a pronunciation difference between the slur "nigger" and the in-group term "nigga"-not merely a pronunciation variant but essentially a different word with different connotations. In modern Black English, "nigga" has evolved into a functional pronoun, as in "A nigga haven't made myself breakfast yet" where "a nigga" means "I." This isn't the only way Black people say "I," but carries a self-skeptical flavor. In third person, "nigga" functions similarly to dismissive pronouns like "his ass," with specific grammatical rules. The word has become so detached from its origins that it can even refer to objects like wasps.

Capitolo 8

The Evolution of Sexual Identity Slurs

For those who might not see racial slurs as profanity, "faggot" may seem even less so-viewed as merely a slur rather than a taboo word. But this distinction has eroded over time. The word's status has transformed dramatically, as evidenced by Eddie Murphy's casual use of "faggots" in his 1987 film Raw versus Isaiah Washington's career-damaging use of the term in 2007 that got him fired from Grey's Anatomy. Faggot has perhaps the strangest etymology of any profanity-originally referring to a bundle of sticks. This meaning was central to medieval European life, where kindling bundles were as essential as the internet is today. The word appears in Scottish records as early as 1312 and developed numerous extended meanings: from bundles of herbs to collections of ideas. The transition began when "faggot" referred to dummy soldiers-fake recruits used to make regiments seem fully staffed. This usage compared these useless figures to bundles of sticks used to fill ditches. From there, it expanded to mean "worthless person," first targeting women (perhaps comparing them to bags of bones). The application to gay men followed a familiar pattern in English where terms for women drift to indicate male weakness or homosexuality-just as "sissy," "queen," and "pussy" did. Unlike "faggot," the term "cocksucker" quickly evolved from specifically referencing homosexuality to becoming a generic insult. First appearing in 1885 Massachusetts, it simultaneously emerged in court documents as a general slur ("You dirty Irish cocksucker"). By 1911, women were using it against annoying men, clearly not referring to homosexuality. Unlike other slurs, "dyke" has achieved remarkable success as an appropriated term. While gay men using "faggot" often carries undertones of self-hatred, many lesbians use "dyke" with genuine pride and comfort. This transformation was aided by lesbianism being perceived as somewhat less transgressive than male homosexuality. In 2004, the organization Dykes on Bikes successfully fought the US Patent Office to trademark their name, proving the word no longer always qualifies as profane.

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Capitolo 9

The Final Bitch

Despite the tongue-in-cheek acronym explanation from Heartless Bitches International, our final profanity began more mundanely with dogs. The word "bitch" originated from Old English "bicge" (female dog), but its earlier origins remain unknown. Like many short, ancient words, it resists etymological investigation. While "bitch" technically means female dog, it's rarely used that way in polite American company today. In medieval and early modern English, however, it was used as freely as "mare" is now, appearing in encyclopedias and hunting manuals. The first recorded application to women appears around 1400 in a play. The original metaphor seems based on female dogs having multiple partners, as seen in religious texts comparing "whores" to bitches "that hath many following her." Like "shit," "bitch" has evolved beyond its literal meaning to describe things giving offense or resisting control: "It's a bitch to steer that thing" or "Life's a bitch, and then you die." This abstract usage has deep roots, appearing in works by Byron ("my bitch of a star"), Kipling ("your bitch of a country"), and Beckett ("this bitch of an earth"). Like "pussy" and "cunt," "bitch" has migrated to men, reflecting the medieval notion that femininity equals inferiority. In prison slang, a "bitch" is a sexually submissive inmate. More commonly today, men use it joshingly among friends to maintain pecking order. Related is "son of a bitch," which has evolved from Shakespeare's elaborate construction ("the sonne and heire of a mungrell bitch") to essentially a single word, often shortened to "sum-bitch" in Southern dialects. The affectionate use of "bitch" has deep roots. Black women blues singers like Lucille Bogan embraced it in songs like 1935's "Till the Cows Come Home," calling herself "a bitch from Baltimore" while bragging of sexual prowess. This usage anticipated white feminists' reclamation decades later and likely reflected how ordinary Black women used it in daily speech. In Black English, "bitch" has evolved into a pronoun paralleling how "nigga" functions for men. Where "nigga" serves as a third-person pronoun for men, "bitch" fills that same role for women, complete with requiring an additional "the" when used as an object ("I told the bitch and she didn't listen"). "Bitch" extends further into first-person usage, with women like Cardi B saying "A bitch is scared" when referring to herself. The word "bitch" has evolved into grammatical constructions so abstract they defy logical connection to its original meaning. The phrase "flip a bitch," referring to making an illegal U-turn, emerged around the late twentieth century in California. While likely incorporating the notion of "bitchy" insubordination, the exact evolution from "female dog" to "illegal driving maneuver" leaves one in awe of language's transformative power.

Capitolo 10

The Fascinating Afterlife of Profanity

Despite its commonplace usage today, "motherfucker" serves as a fascinating linguistic case study. The word emerged relatively late, with earliest documented usage in 1890 court records, not medieval times as one might expect. Though initially not racially coded, it gradually became particularly associated with Black American vernacular. Don King even claimed it as "our word... our heritage," proudly declaring it a Black cultural invention. The term's evolution exemplifies how profanity transforms beyond literal meaning-the "mother" component now functions almost as a meaningless prefix or intensifier to "fucker," similar to how Southeast Asian languages add meaningless syllables for emphasis. The word has shifted from literal meaning to versatile usage-sometimes denoting people, sometimes objects, and often serving as a more rhythmically satisfying version of simply saying "fucker." What these nine nasty words ultimately reveal is that profanity isn't just about breaking taboos-it's about how language evolves to meet our emotional needs. These words transform from literal meanings to abstract grammatical functions, creating parallel linguistic systems that operate alongside "proper" language. They reflect our shifting social values, from religious taboos to bodily privacy to concerns about marginalized groups. In their evolution, we see not just the history of what we consider offensive, but the remarkable creativity of human language itself.

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“Sono passati 23 giorni e l'ho usata ogni giorno. Ora fa parte della mia routine quotidiana.”

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Temi chiave in Parolacce: Breve storia delle nove parole che hanno fatto la storia dell’inglese

linguistic evolution
profanity history
social taboos
etymology of slurs
language and psychology

Citazioni da Parolacce: Breve storia delle nove parole che hanno fatto la storia dell’inglese

Saying what we're told we shouldn't.
Early talkies were surprisingly liberal.
Profanity shifted from religious cursing to sexual taboos.
What the fuck is that?
Our culture's discomfort with bodily functions can appear bizarre.

Personaggi di Parolacce: Breve storia delle nove parole che hanno fatto la storia dell’inglese

John McWhorterAuthor and linguist who explores English profanity
David O. SelznickFilm producer who challenged profanity codes
Maxwell PerkinsEditor who struggled with Hemingway's profanity
Joseph PulitzerPublisher known for using 'damn' in compound words
Mitt RomneyPolitician noted for using old-fashioned euphemisms

Sull'autore

John Hamilton McWhorter V, rinomato linguista e commentatore culturale, esplora la provocatoria evoluzione delle imprecazioni inglesi in Nine Nasty Words: English in the Gutter: Then, Now, and Forever. Professore associato alla Columbia University specializzato in socioletti e lingue creole, McWhorter unisce il rigore accademico al fascino divulgativo attraverso la sua newsletter sul New York Times, i TED Talk sulle bizzarrie linguistiche e le frequenti apparizioni su NPR e The Glenn Show.

La sua esperienza nelle dinamiche del linguaggio si estende a opere di successo come The Power of Babel e Words on the Move, che analizzano come la comunicazione plasmi la cultura. L'incisiva analisi di McWhorter sul linguaggio tabù si basa su 19 acclamati libri, tra cui Losing the Race (bestseller del New York Times) e Woke Racism, oltre al suo podcast Lexicon Valley.

Linguista formatosi a Stanford ed ex professore alla UC Berkeley, egli fonde la ricerca storica con i dibattiti contemporanei, ottenendo riconoscimenti come redattore collaboratore del City Journal e una nomination al NAACP Image Award. Nine Nasty Words riflette la sua tipica miscela di arguzia ed erudizione, consolidando la sua reputazione come voce autorevole sul ruolo del linguaggio nella società. Dalla sua pubblicazione nel 2021, il libro ha innescato discussioni internazionali sulla libertà di parola e sulle norme culturali.

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Scopri di piu su come si parla di BeFreed nel web

Creato da alumni della Columbia University a San Francisco

LOVED BY

1,000,000+ curious minds.

4.7

avg rating

1M+ learners

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA

117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum

108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC

254

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful

4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon

201

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn

483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA

117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum

108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC

254

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful

4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon

201

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn

483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA

117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum

108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC

254

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful

4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon

201

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn

483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu

Scopri di piu su come si parla di BeFreed nel web

Inizia il tuo percorso di apprendimento, ora

Capitolo 4

Parolacce: Breve storia delle nove parole che hanno fatto la storia dell’inglese

PanoramicaPanoramica di Parolacce: Breve storia delle nove parole che hanno fatto la storia dell’inglese

Un libro. Tanti modi per ascoltarlo.

The Power of Profanity: When Words Become Weapons

From Holy Hell to Everyday Expression

Vedi ogni parola mentre la ascolti

What Is It About Fuck?

The Complex Life of Shit

Ottieni di più da Parolacce: Breve storia delle nove parole che hanno fatto la storia dell’inglese

The Remarkable Journey of Ass

The Genital Taboo

Vedi ogni parola mentre la ascolti

The Word That Shall Not Be Spoken

The Evolution of Sexual Identity Slurs

Ottieni di più da Parolacce: Breve storia delle nove parole che hanno fatto la storia dell’inglese

The Final Bitch

The Fascinating Afterlife of Profanity

Hai raggiunto la fine di Parolacce: Breve storia delle nove parole che hanno fatto la storia dell’inglese

Temi chiave in Parolacce: Breve storia delle nove parole che hanno fatto la storia dell’inglese

Citazioni da Parolacce: Breve storia delle nove parole che hanno fatto la storia dell’inglese

Personaggi di Parolacce: Breve storia delle nove parole che hanno fatto la storia dell’inglese

Sull'autore

Scarica il riassunto di Parolacce: Breve storia delle nove parole che hanno fatto la storia dell’inglese

Agli utenti è piaciuto anche

FAQ su questo libro

What is Nine Nasty Words by John McWhorter about?

Who should read Nine Nasty Words?

Is Nine Nasty Words worth reading?

How does Nine Nasty Words explain the origins of the F-word?

Scopri di più

1,000,000+ curious minds.

1,000,000+ curious minds.

Un libro. Tanti modi per ascoltarlo.

The Power of Profanity: When Words Become Weapons

From Holy Hell to Everyday Expression

Vedi ogni parola mentre la ascolti

What Is It About Fuck?

The Complex Life of Shit

Ottieni di più da Parolacce: Breve storia delle nove parole che hanno fatto la storia dell’inglese

The Remarkable Journey of Ass

The Genital Taboo

Vedi ogni parola mentre la ascolti

The Word That Shall Not Be Spoken

The Evolution of Sexual Identity Slurs

Ottieni di più da Parolacce: Breve storia delle nove parole che hanno fatto la storia dell’inglese

The Final Bitch

The Fascinating Afterlife of Profanity

Hai raggiunto la fine di Parolacce: Breve storia delle nove parole che hanno fatto la storia dell’inglese

Agli utenti è piaciuto anche

Scopri di più

Panoramica di Parolacce: Breve storia delle nove parole che hanno fatto la storia dell’inglese