HIGH-SOUNDING WORDS: SALIENT FEATURES - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

High- sounding words, swear words, profanity, or foul language refers to words that are considered obscene or rude, such as name calling, derogatory sexual references, or phrases intended to offend.

The high-sounding word is composed of the prefix alti- (high) and sonante, of sound. While it can be assumed that these are words that "sound loud", in reality it refers to words that are big, or rather, swear words.

The writer Carlos Laguna, in his book Palabras y extas, divides high-sounding words into five main groups:

1- Those that compare with animals

For example, if someone is called a "donkey" it refers to the low intellectual capacity of the insulted person.

If he is called a "bastard", he means that he is suffering an infidelity on the part of his partner.

If he is called a "pig", he refers to the non-existent hygiene of the interlocutor. It is meant to express that it is disgusting or dirty.

2- Those that revolve around sex or sexual preferences

It is derogatory if a woman is called a "whore," or if a man's manhood is questioned by yelling "homosexual" at him in a pejorative way.

3- Those whose central word is linked to intercourse

This type, like many insults, varies by region. For example, in Mexico to say "fuck your mother" is to send someone to have sex with their mother.

4- Those where the mother is the center of the insult

"Chinga tu madre" is an insult with various uses in Mexico, and the same description as previously described applies.

There are other high-sounding phrases in which reference is made to the sexual organs of someone's mother, or it is expressed that someone's mother is a prostitute.

5- About someone's low intellectual capacity

Phrases like idiot, chump or idiot are worth to detract from someone's intellectual capacity.

Unique semantic loading

The Mexican professor Margarita Espinosa presents an investigation in which she concludes that the semantic load of rudeness is unique, so that they cannot be replaced by other words.

He also adds that certain rudeness can have an offensive spectrum that, for example, could range from a simple "fool" to a more complex "asshole", which would carry a greater offensive charge.

Are there bad words?

The words are not really bad; in this case the intention with which they are said may be negative, but there is a kind of social agreement on the offensive charge of the words and this may vary between countries or regions.

Even in particular situations, the repetitive use of high-sounding words wears down their meanings, making them lose their value and offensive charge.

Some regional differences

Venezuela uses "egg" to refer to the penis, when in most Spanish-speaking countries it means testicle.

In Mexico, roe is boredom, something that is "made of eggs" is important, and a "jerk" is lazy.

A straw is a straw, but a straw can be a small straw (masturbation). Skinny (dick) is also a penis. In Mexico they wear jackets, because jackets are straws.

References

1. Dictionary of the Spanish language - Altisonante: dle.rae.es
2. Margarita Espinosa - Something about the history of swear words: razonypalabra.org.mx
3. Wikipedia - Bad Language: en.wikipedia.org
4. La Nación - Bad words: Rudeness from there, innocence from here: nacion.com
5. Dictionary of Mexican rudeness: slavoseternos.blogspot.com