Swear Words in Star Wars

What about "You Philistine!" That's pretty ancient or even "You clumsy behemoth!"

They are two examples of references to obscure, extinct, ancient groups (for the first) and a beast (for the second) found in the English language.

True, they're ancient, but they also both appear in the Bible (which was a popular current topic last time I checked), which probably accounts for their relatively common use today. If King David had written a psalm about flagellants, we'd likely hear that word more often, too. Just a thought.

But I digress. I thought JG's point about fodder having the same connotation as excrement was really intriguing. English has a plethora of terms for excrement. Does Huttese have a comparable amount of words for fodder? Does Basic? That sounds like a fun brainstorming session, if I ever had the time.

 

See, that's a totally non-censorious reason I don't like Earth swear-words in SW fanfic. It's way too fun to figure out how the language might actually evolve in different cultures and what sorts of curses would actually evolve. Why go for the pedestrian (the actual meaning of "vulgar" is "common") when you can go all out and make it up from scratch?

That's just a writing thing, though.

On "Philistine" and "behemoth," they're used, but rarely, and not as curses. "Philistine" is maybe more common than "behemoth," but I don't ever remember hearing a bunch of sleazy guys on the corner yelling "Philistine!" at me.

 

Diverging from the topic I know, but a grou of sleazy guys wouldn't yell "Philistine" at you unless you were doing something culturally appropriate for that word to be used.

Philistine is used usually for someone who is destroying something or a person, who the person doing the name calling sees as having no cultural taste. So unless you were defacing a statue or something that equals that I wouldn't expect someone to call you a Philistine.

It's also about cultural norms. I make up terms frequently in many of my fics - but I make sure that the characters have a good cultural background for using that term.

For example, my character Tara spent most of her apprenticeship on a world where the dominant religion is polytheistic with different gods being responsible for different things. When Tara swears (which isn't often - it's not part of her personality) she normally swears by one of the gods. For example:

"Oh by Terebith" Tara breathed, "Eighteen months!"


Despite this debate I actually have to say that I like working out culturally appropriate terms (doesn't even have to be swear words - just terms).

Hugs
Kithera

 

Diverging from the topic I know, but a grou of sleazy guys wouldn't yell "Philistine" at you unless you were doing something culturally appropriate for that word to be used.

But that's the thing--Philistine isn't a swear; it's not vulgar/common. It's an epithet, but it's not vulgar. No one says it as a casual interjection (as we're suggesting "sithspit" would be--and why "spit"?). I don't think that "philistine" was ever considered a common word or one that broke a taboo or tread on taboo ground or anything. It's also not uncommon--it's not something obscure like an old religious sect.

I guess the question would be, how much does the GFFA read old Jedi texts and study them? If it's as common as reading the Bible, there there might be some Jedi-based words floating around. But I get the distinct impression from the movies that, while belief in the Force is common, the Order keeps itself to itself, so it's internal problems would not be particularly common knowledge among the people. (Ref, Yoda's statement that they shouldn't even inform the Senate of their current problem in AotC.)

 

But that's the thing--Philistine isn't a swear; it's not vulgar/common. It's an epithet, but it's not vulgar.

Point conceded. I was just trying to find a word of a fairly obscure words from ancient groups. Philistine isn't a swear word (like you said) more of an insult really.

I think it also really depends on what level of swearing is socially acceptable based on family and societal values. In some families I know calling someone an idiot is liable for a mouth-washing - and yet in my family curse words are common (with the exception of swearing at someone which isn't allowed).

Hmmmm- might let this thread go back to its original purpose now....

Kithera

 

We used to call people "Nimrod" when I was in high school. He was a Biblical character, I think.

Personally, I think you can put just as much emphasis behind "crap" or "darn" as you can their profane counterparts. It's sort of hard to put a Yosemite Sam kind of swearing in a SW fic.

My favorite...and I use this in real life..."No Sith!" It's different when you're talking about real people, like the Nazis or Gnostics or whatever group you want to use there. This is Star Wars, and I don't think that there's anything wrong with it.

Okay, enough stalling and back to my homework. Just putting my two cents in.

~Rogue


EDIT: Didn't Fenig Nabon say to Kyp Durron something to the effect, "So you're Sithin' Durron?"

 

Oh, I don't argue that it's not used in the EU. I just think it's a mistake on the part of the EU.

To go on with "philistine," that's another class of word that makes life intersting when writing in another galaxy. Do you use words like "philistine" to mean what they mean here, ignoring the cultural story that underlies it? Or do you use a synonym that's not based on an Earth text? Same with "oedipal" or "herculean" or "sysiphean" or "sadistic" or whatnot.

 

i feel special...


big debate going on in my thread....



thanks for the contribution, rogue11lovesjag!

 

"Sadistic" is a tough one, because it is common, and most people don't know its historical significance. I have a fic where the NR characters say "Imperial" instead.

However, if you get into the significance of the words . . . can you even use "sinister"?

EDIT: and what about "spartan"?

 

I don't think "Imperial" has the same connotation as "sadistic" (the latter being much, much more personal...)

"sinister"... hmm, according to my dictionary (or, rather, to dictionary.com), its root is Latinate meaning "to the left" or "unfavorable"... it's arguably just an English word derived from Latin, and we can't cut all those out, or we'd lose half the language. So I wouldn't say "sinister" is a problem word.

"Sadistic," though is listed as being derived from the Marquis de Sade. Maybe I'd use it in narrative, but I think I'd shy away from it in character dialogue. Oh, I'd probably shy away from it in narrative, too--just to be careful--and use "cruel" or a more descriptive passage describing the character taking pleasure from someone else's pain.

EDIT:

I'd definitely put "Spartan" on an "out" list... it would sound as out-of-place to me as it would to have Leia accuse Tarkin of being "Unchristian." Then again, the story that made me shiver to my toes when I was little was about the little Spartan boy with his stolen fox, so that's a high-visibility word in my little worldview.

 

The only entry I found for "sadistic" in the thesaurus was "vice". Hmm.

 

This is the first of three definitions in dictionary.com (one of my favorite sites):

sa·dism Pronunciation Key (sdzm, sdz-)
n.
The deriving of sexual gratification or the tendency to derive sexual gratification from inflicting pain or emotional abuse on others.
The deriving of pleasure, or the tendency to derive pleasure, from cruelty.
Extreme cruelty.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[After SadeComte, Donatien Alphonse François de.]

 

up for people to read, contribute, and use!

 

uppers!

 

A random up by someone who does not have "Jaina" in their name!

 

I've used 'great bantha in the morning!' before. Just something that popped into my head one day. And of course, there is always poodoo.

 

I recently read a fic where instead of using the dreaded "other word for human excrement", the character said "No bantha cheese!" I think it was by Trickster_Jaina_Fel (trying to give credit where it is due here )

 

*UP* for newbie writers

 

I don't see any point in making up Star Wars words for swear words. If you need to use swear words from this world, and they're appropriate to the situation, use them. If they're not, don't. It's that simple. Words like Sithspit don't carry the proper feeling behind them, or the proper sense of disgust.

 

I've read 'kreth' as a swear word before. I don't remember where I first read it though, so if it is a fanfic creation, kudos to that author.

As for Sith, I disagree with you Galadriel. The people of the Old Republic would probably not use the word, as you say, because of lack of knowledge. However, with the rise of Palpatine and Vader, I would think the people during the Civil War and New Republic would have a better understanding of what a Sith is, however skewed that knowledge might be.

Darth Vader was known as "The Dark Lord of the Sith". Even if the people didn't exactly know what a Sith was, I would think they would make the connection between Sith and 'evil' and use the term as a swear word, especially the Rebels.

inez

 

upping for newbies!



thanks for all new contributions!

 

From The Completely Unofficial SW Encyclopedia

Bastasi
this was an Ansionian swear word, used to indicated an individual's loss of patience. (APS)

Bishwag
this was a swear word, used by many humans during the last decades of the Old Republic to indicate an untrustworthy being. (DRKN)

Bloah
this was a swear word used on the planet Tatooine during the last decades of the Old Republic. (TG)

Chubba
this was a swear word used by the Squib race. (TG)

Droyk
this is a Corellian swear word. (VOF)

Druk
this alien swear word was used to slangly describe excrement. (T16)

Emwhulb
a Socorran swear word, meant to indicate a being of low standards and no loyalty. (BSS)

Farkled
this swear word was used to describe any situation which was bleak or disastrous, as in ,"We're farkled." (T4)

Fedding
this was a swear word used throughout the Tapani Sector of the galaxy. (SWJ4)

Ferglutz
this was a Quarren swear word. (RS)

Filswik
this was a swear word used by Alliance pilots. (T12)

Flack
a swear word used by many Imperial troops. (VOF)

Flarg
a swear word which often referred to excrement. (ROE)

Flott
this was an alien swear word. (MC78)

Flupp
this was a Dug swear word. (SWI64)

Frack
a swear word (SOL)

Frag
a swear word (GOF7)

Freg
this was a swear word. (GG11)

Frink
a Corellia swear word. (TFE)

Frip
a swear word. (SESB)

Fripping
this was a swear word used as an adjective by the natives of the planet Indu San. (SWJ6)

Gartal
this was an Alderaanian swear word. (TG)

Gfersh
this is a Rodian swear word. (GG11)

Grist
this was a swear word used by the inhabitants of the planet Lok. (CRBN)

Grotty
this was an Ansionian swear word, used as an adjective to describe another individual. (APS)

Ish'ka
this was a Yuuzhan Vong swear word, used to indicate one's displeasure with a situation. (FH3)

Jactna
this was a Rodian swear word. (T6)

Kark
this was a swear word used by the Kiffar. (J4)

Khapet
this was a Yuuzhan Vong swear word, often used when an individual discovered that they had made a mistake. (FP)

Krazsch
this was a swear word used by the Riileb people. (SWJ6)

Kriff
this is an Imperial swear word. (VOF)

Krozit
this was a Nikto swear word. (ROP)

Ktah
this was a Chiss swear word. Because the Chiss rarely showed any sort of emotion, the use of such words was reserved for intense or unusual situations. (FH2)

Kwaag
this was a Tulgah swear word. (MECAR)

Moojpuck
this was an Ansionian swear word, often used by the Gwurran. (APS)

Mopak
this Ansionian swear word was used to indicate excrement. (APS)

Munk
this was a Stassian swear word, indicating a form of excrement. (SWJ6)

Murglak
this was a swear word used by many disreputable groups, during the last decades of the Old Republic. (SHW)

Pustina
this is a Drach'nam swear word. (TFNR)

Saen
a Coway swear word known to Halla, it has something to do with a person's parentage. Halla tells Luke that it's a Coway word meaning "quit," used when two combatant are fighting to determine Canu's decision on a dispute. The battle is decided when one combatant dies or quits. She says this in hopes that Luke would use it if he was near to defeat, to momentarily disengage his assailant and gain the upper hand. (SME)

Schutta
this was a Twi'leki swear word, used to indicate a being of poor repute. It was derived from the name of a weasel-like creature native to Ryloth. (JQ)

Shas'mink
this is a Laerdocian swear-word. (SOP)

Shavit
this is a swear word used by the farmers of Pakrik Minor. (VOF)

Skrag
a Corellian swear word. (TFE)

Snark
this was a swear word used by the human inhabitants of the planet Ord Mantell and several other planets. (ROP, REL)

Snivgold
this was an Ansionian swear word, used to describe another individual. (

 

I like Sithspit. And Shavit has that satisfying SH sound, ending with the the fricative T sound, like our Earthly profanity that came from the phrase "Ship High In Transit."

I also took a cue from the author Tamora Pierce. In her novels that are set in Tortall, which is a country with many pagan gods, she has the characters swear by Mithros or the Goddess, or (my favorite) "Mithros, Minnoss, and Shakith!" So I invent individual names for individual pagan-type gods on worlds and have the natives of those worlds swear by them, or invoke them. Example, from one of my fics, invoking Naboo's god of death:

Obi-Wan repeated the customary Nubian prayer for the dead: "As she gave light to our lives, so may Tokith light her way to the Endless Domains. Peace to Padmé."

But that's just me.

Edit: Thanks, Drabbo. I could not for the life of me remember where I'd heard Grotty before, and it was bugging me. He was talking about that posh bird Susan, wasn't he? Or was it the shirts they were handing him?

And I agree - it's too Earthly to use in SW. One wrong word and I'm kicked right out of the story's world.

 

Grotty? Grotty? Can anyone who's read The Approaching Storm tell me the context? If it's used like a shortened form of grotesque, then I'd say that'd be as much an Earthism as geek. [For those who don't know, "grotty" was 60s British slang. It became really popular after George Harrison used it in A Hard Day's Night, and it's since entered somewhat broader use.]

 

IMO, made-up swear words fall flat far more often than they work. Anthony Burgess studied the way slang develops before he came up with the street vocabulary in "A Clockwork Orange," and his street words work because of the research he did. Language is a subtle and complicated thing, and it makes me nuts when a writer figures he can just substitute mmplxl for "damn" and have it all be good. Bah, I say unto you. And again: Bah!

I know this is a thread about made-up swear words, but I'd like to offer a few alternatives to using "kriff," "frak," and so on:

1) Don't use any swear words at all. Somehow, GL has managed to give us about 9 hours of film in which a variety of emotions are expressed without anyone using swear words stronger than "hell" or "damn." The constraint of having to work around swear words has given the SW saga some of its more memorable lines:

"Threepio, you tell that slimy piece of worm-ridden filth he'll get no such pleasure from us!"

"Governor Tarkin. I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board."

"Lovely girl."

(Don't underestimate the power of dramatic understatement, especially with "I've got it all under control" characters like Han and Obi-Wan.)

2) Use real-world curse work-arounds. Some of them are quite creative, and not especially Earth-centric:

"You're not going to have any luck with him. Not with him following Gunray around, kissing the Trade Federation's shiny assets."

"We're not going anywhere," he said, giving the hydrospanner another vigorous twist, "not unless I can get this motherless excuse for a hyperdrive working."

"I hope you burn for this," she snarled, glaring the Imperial official in the eye.

3) Give summaries or "translations" of curse words.

The alluvial damper popped out of place again, and Han swore.

Anakin leaned back against his winning pod and folded his arms, waiting until the Dug's tirade was over. "I dunno Sebulba . . . that sounds like sore-loser talk to me," he said. "Besides, I'm human. That stuff isn't even *possible.*"

The spice dealer proceeded to cast aspersions on Obi-Wan's parentage, religion, and choice of activities when alone.

4) Leave the plain old everyday curse words in, and post your story to a different site. If swear words are so integral to your story that you can't possibly write around them, the story may not be suitable for underage audiences anyway. FWIW, I have never seen complaints about English swear words being too "Earthly" in PG-13+ SW fics. The whole saga is written in English, for heaven's sake. If a chair is a chair and a table is a table, then **** should be ****.

Many of the arguments against using made-up swear words are the same as the arguments against using real ones. Like clichés, curse words don't actually convey very much information, can get repetitive and boring, and can provide an excuse to take the path of least resistence and avoid creativity. The other danger in using made-up curse words is they can sound damn silly. (Sorry . . . I meant kliffing, frakking, mmplxlzing silly.)

My personal advice is to consider one of the four approaches above first, and resort to using kliff or kriff or glyph or whatever only if absolutely necessary.