漢語文資料中的咒罵與髒話/ Curses and profanities in Chinese texts and language
This course focuses on curses and vulgar language, providing a diachronic overview of this distinctive linguistic phenomenon through Chinese-language materials from different historical periods. Specific topics include: evidence of swearing in excavated texts; records of Tang-era insults preserved in Dunhuang manuscripts documenting performance arts; and malicious expressions found in popular literary works of the Ming and Qing dynasties.
The course also offers a detailed discussion of the Taiwanese Minnan expression kan3 kiau7 (諫詨) as an example of swearing, exploring its etymology and original written forms. Building on Minnan’s actual linguistic practices, it examines the types of curses and the linguistic environments they create. Finally, drawing on modern Chinese as a reference point, the course concludes with a critical discussion of theories on swearing and vulgar language across different disciplinary contexts, as well as comparative studies on the subject.
