Family members swearing around your kids

[littleraysofsunshine]

How go you deal with this

Caronaim I think you're confusing linguistics and genetics.

Incidentally, I knew somebody who had a stroke and lost all words except 'Merry Christmas'. In which part of the brain are holidays stored, I wonder?

I don't doubt that swearing does have a very specific and emotional purpose in language. I think to consider all swearing as an act of aggression is an extremely limited and unsupported view.

Do you know what, this is one of the most bizarre interactions that I have ever shared with a stranger on the internet, so I don't really think there's much point in pursuing the discussion. I also don't hold much with people who make a claim, refuse to in any way support it and then expect someone else to go and do the leg work. If you make the claim, then you have to prove it.

However, I do really hope that one day I will find a specific, non-linguistic, aggression part of the brain which stores swearing and present this at some point in the future and I also look forward to making a fabulous name for myself across several fields where I present my findings that Old English is actually an enormous and fantastically successful Tudor conspiracy. When that I happens I will be sure to thank you and send you some royalties from the fantastical books that I will write on the matter.

I wonder where passive aggression features in the 'aggression' part of the brain where it doesn't contain any actual swearing that comes from the list of actual swear words that we're supposed to teach our children are acts of aggression?

Do you know what, this is one of the most bizarre interactions that I have ever shared with a stranger on the internet,
Alarmingly Unfortunately, I can't say the same thing. It's certainly on the list though.

To go back to the OP........

Fortunately my family are all capable of having conversations without swearing, so it hasn't been an issue for us, but I would first ask nicely, then remind, then nag, then not spend time in their company, if it came to it.

I'm not confusing linguistics and genetics, I am discussing them alongside each other.

What surprises me is that people who claim to know about the language seem to be completely new to these ideas. I understand if you disagree, or dislike this "stuff" as sanfairyanne put it, but no one working or studying in these fields can realistically not have come across it before. The theory has been around for decades, the evidence has been mounting for years, and it is pretty much main steam now.

Just look it up for yourself, it is all there, it isn't some obscure piece of well hidden research, like I said, pretty much mainstream.

Hi op, I tend to shriek 'language' and clutch my invisible pearls which makes my dad laugh a lot, not feel got at but also swear less. Not sure that's work with people who you aren't sure share your sense of humour! Wouldn't want someone to think I was actually mortally offended!

*That'd

I hate swearing. I find it offensive. I don't know why as my mum always swore around me. But I wish people would modify their language around me and my kids. It's just rude. I don't want to hear it.

Swearing's great, used correctly.

As to the Anglo Saxons being an invention of the Tudors, that's a new one on me.

The Saxons, Jutes, Franks etc came here over a long period time. It was a mix of invasion, trade and migration. Parts of Europe flooded so there was an influx then.