Disir
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- Sep 30, 2011
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If you opened a school textbook from the 15th century, you might be surprised to see how some familiar actions and parts of the anatomy are described. Though words like fart and s--- would be considered too crass, or even silly, to educate children with today, in those days they were simply an acceptable part of language.
And if you time traveled back to medieval London, you might stumble across some curious street names, too. Naming an alley after how many people urinate there — in this case, the unfortunately on-the-nose "Piss Alley" — might just seem plain vulgar to folks today.
Are we more sensitive than our medieval counterparts; or were they just less refined? Well, it might not be so simple. Linguists and historians say the meanings behind these words, and the ways we respond to them, have changed a lot over the centuries.
www.discovermagazine.com
That's right. Cursing is a pain killer.
And if you time traveled back to medieval London, you might stumble across some curious street names, too. Naming an alley after how many people urinate there — in this case, the unfortunately on-the-nose "Piss Alley" — might just seem plain vulgar to folks today.
Are we more sensitive than our medieval counterparts; or were they just less refined? Well, it might not be so simple. Linguists and historians say the meanings behind these words, and the ways we respond to them, have changed a lot over the centuries.
By God's Bones: Bad Words in the Middle Ages Were Nothing Like Today’s
By today’s standards, people in the Middle Ages had potty mouths. But researchers say the act of swearing has actually changed a lot over the years.
www.discovermagazine.com
That's right. Cursing is a pain killer.
