Creating cuss words for fantasy characters

Dark huntress · Nov 15, 2011

I need to create some cuss words for one of my characters. The setting is similar to Earth in the 1500's.

I thought this would be easy since I can create my own but I can't seem to come up with anything that's not laughable.

I have also researched medieval cuss words on the net but so far the few that I have found aren't working for me.

Any suggestions on how to do this?

LaneHeymont · Nov 15, 2011

I'd say research, but you might try comparing the cultures. Curse words to us back in the day were actual curses. Shit is something gross/bad. So try thinking of something that's gross or bad in your world's culture and go about it that way. It won't BE a curse word to us, but I think most people will understand/recognize that it's a curse in the book.

Dwarf: Shut up, human, you're nothing but an elf-kisser.

Curse words don't always have to be swears/single words.

Dark River · Nov 15, 2011

Funny thing is, most of the curse words we use today originated in that time frame-some much earlier. The f word was very popular as well as sh*t. There are also a lot of great words like varlet or rapscallion or whore-monger. Use your thesarus-lots of great words there.
And if you are writing sci-fi, there shouldn't be a lot of limits. One of my characters says "Oh, damn demons of Dankruts!"

LaneHeymont · Nov 15, 2011

Shit actually started in the UK as "shyte" as the middle finger

jjdebenedictis · Nov 15, 2011

Not every insult has to use an actual cuss word:

"She has mist for brains."

"He's such a daisy."

"I value that opinion as much as I do the fragrant clay that my bowels produce each morn."

thothguard51 · Nov 15, 2011

I stopped trying because no matter what I came up with, they were laughable.

If I want to tell someone they are an ass, I say arse. If someone is a bastard, I say bastard, or use the term bitch if it applies. Readers know those words and what they reference, so its not something they are going to laugh at...

BunnyMaz · Nov 16, 2011

Stephen Fry did an episode of his language documentary on swearing, and he discovered a common theme among all swear words in all languages. They revolve around sex, excrement or religion. Even swear words related to bigotry (like elf-kisser above) emphasise that bigotry with sex, excrement or religion. It's all about taboos.

No one swears by saying "oh, love-making!" or "oh, legitimate son!" not only because of how awkward and long-winded it is, but because there's no taboo behind the concepts. Being a bastard used to really mean something negative, when marriage was socially more of a requirement.

If you're struggling, consider what the taboos in your society are, and what past taboos may have existed (so, say you've got a people whose ancestors used to worship nature gods, but who converted to something else, they might have swear words that relate to taboos the nature worshippers had, or might swear by invoking things that were made taboo during that transition.)

Just make sure your swearing is consistent with the taboos of that culture, and you're fine.

I like referring to this when I get stuck.

areteus · Nov 16, 2011

There is a tradition of using obscure swears to obfuscate the censors - for example everyone assumed that Red Dwarf's 'Smeg' was a made up swear word (including the BBC censors) when it is really a very obscure (well, now less obscure

) word for the deposit of gunk you get under the foreskin (hence Smeghead is equivilent to Dickhead, sort of).

Curses can often have a religious bent to them - after all who hasn't blasphemed ('Jesus Christ!') when something has gone wrong? So the names of gods or prophets could be swear words in your culture. It may help in that case to have a conveniently inserted god or prophet whose name has the right feel to it - saying 'Oh Aphrodite!' has less of a 'swear' feel to it that 'Zeus!' because of the excess of syllables.

In fact, the syllable thing is important for swear words because they have to be quick to say and have that invective feel. Hence the term 'four letter Anglo Saxon' referring to those words which have been swear words since at least the time of the Anglo Saxons. Four letters because, if you look at it, the majority of persistant swearwords do have only four letters (and those that don't are often extensions of these words or combinations i.e. F**ktard). So, you need to think of a word which has either a relevance to coitus or excretion, has about four letters and can be pronounced with the required amount of invective force easily by a character.

LaneHeymont · Nov 16, 2011

BunnyMaz said:
Stephen Fry did an episode of his language documentary on swearing, and he discovered a common theme among all swear words in all languages. They revolve around sex, excrement or religion. Even swear words related to bigotry (like elf-kisser above) emphasise that bigotry with sex, excrement or religion. It's all about taboos.

No one swears by saying "oh, love-making!" or "oh, legitimate son!" not only because of how awkward and long-winded it is, but because there's no taboo behind the concepts. Being a bastard used to really mean something negative, when marriage was socially more of a requirement.

If you're struggling, consider what the taboos in your society are, and what past taboos may have existed (so, say you've got a people whose ancestors used to worship nature gods, but who converted to something else, they might have swear words that relate to taboos the nature worshippers had, or might swear by invoking things that were made taboo during that transition.)

Just make sure your swearing is consistent with the taboos of that culture, and you're fine.

I like referring to this when I get stuck.

+1

This is exactly right! Far better explanation than mine!

Sirion · Nov 19, 2011

Fake swear words always come off as cheesy to me, no matter how well thought out.

Elvirnith · Nov 19, 2011

TTCleveland said:
Fake swear words always come off as cheesy to me, no matter how well thought out.

I tend to agree and frequently abuse "Bloody". I've not really been able to think up any kind of cussing that sounds natural, but then again I haven't had a character that's cussed on a regular basis either.

That sounds like a good challenge for my next novel.

LaneHeymont · Nov 19, 2011

The perfect and yet most offensive curse word is....NERFHEARDER! Really, it's the perfect example of a bad insult.

thothguard51 · Nov 19, 2011

Unless you heard nerfs for a living...

Mr Flibble · Nov 20, 2011

Elvirnith said:
I tend to agree and frequently abuse "Bloody".

I try to avoid bloody (and fail at times) because of its origins-very tied to this world/Christianity.

However, fuck, shit, bugger etc are fair game. They happen everywhere....

Architectus · Nov 20, 2011

It's usually advised to not make up such words in fantasy and sci-fi. I've read a lot of threads where readers make fun of this. But if done well, even the most unforgiving reader will dig it.

Frack worked okay in Battlestar.

I personally think it's best to just use regular cuss words.

Dave.C.Robinson · Nov 20, 2011

In one fantasy I used "hammer it," the local religion was based around a deity called "The Forger," and it just seemed to work for me.

Alessandra Kelley · Nov 20, 2011

BunnyMaz said:
Stephen Fry did an episode of his language documentary on swearing, and he discovered a common theme among all swear words in all languages. They revolve around sex, excrement or religion. Even swear words related to bigotry (like elf-kisser above) emphasise that bigotry with sex, excrement or religion. It's all about taboos.

I think that might be an oversimplification. When my husband was studying ancient Greek, he would make note of curses and cusswords he ran across. One that stuck with me was "to the crows with you," (I think it was one word) meaning may you be dead and eaten by crows. It doesn't seem to me to be obviously about any of sex, excrement, or religion.

Stephen Fry is very clever, however, and I might be deficient in my understanding.

Shadow_Ferret · Nov 20, 2011

I prefer regular cuss words. Made up ones often bump me out of the story if they're too odd or cutesy or make me wonder what the hell it means.

thothguard51 said:
Unless you heard nerfs for a living...

I heard that!

Architectus said:
Frack worked okay in Battlestar.

Not for me. That annoyed me every time.

jennontheisland · Nov 20, 2011

A god (or other person of note) and a body part. "Odin's crusty nutsack"

An animal (or race or species, god or person) and an action. "Mother fucker"

ironmikezero · Nov 20, 2011

I always found the word "frack" amusing - its thinly veiled inference in any given syntax is rather obvious. However, I'm uncertain as to its actual origins; nor do I know who co-opted it from whom... the staff writers for Battlestar Gallactica - or the oil/natural gas industry?

Curious, that... because the process of fracking for oil/gas has the unfortunate propensity to frack up fresh ground water.

http://www.theoec.org/Fracking.htm?gclid=CKO6ydGKxqwCFY2b7QodiWS4pQ

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydraulic_fracturing

Corinne Duyvis · Nov 20, 2011

Dave.C.Robinson said:
In one fantasy I used "hammer it," the local religion was based around a deity called "The Forger," and it just seemed to work for me.

I like this

fredXgeorge · Nov 21, 2011

Characters in the tv show Rome use 'Piss and blood'. I love it.

Mr Flibble · Nov 21, 2011

Alessandra Kelley said:
I think that might be an oversimplification. When my husband was studying ancient Greek, he would make note of curses and cusswords he ran across. One that stuck with me was "to the crows with you," (I think it was one word) meaning may you be dead and eaten by crows. It doesn't seem to me to be obviously about any of sex, excrement, or religion.

Stephen Fry is very clever, however, and I might be deficient in my understanding.

Because if the crows get to eat you, you haven't been buried. Religious perhaps? A non-Christian version of 'Go to hell'? Maybe I'm stretching lol (there's a similar far eastern curse, which basically means if no one buried you, it's because no one cared enough so you end up laying in the street). Thanks to crucifixion, I'm given to understand the Romans had a similar 'Go hang on the cross'. Not exactly a swear though...

Cursing and swearing are slightly different though, if you think about it

You're either swearing by something 'By Thor's foreskin, I will kill you!' or cursing someone to have something horrible occur to them 'Go to hell'.

Or perhaps I need more tea.

Ardent Kat · Nov 21, 2011

In a steampunk western I wrote, the characters said "soot"/"sooty" instead of "shit"/"shitty." They sound similar enough to work for readers, and there's plenty of dirty obnoxious soot in the setting that it works for characters. (Beta readers digged it)

An elvish pejorative for humans in a fantasy WIP of mine is "burnwick", highlighting the human's shorter lifespan and tendency to overconsume resources. (A candle burning down quickly, or a lamp wick guzzling oil)

I also like "muck" and "chaff" for light swears.

Creating cuss words for fantasy characters

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