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Talk:Taboo deformation

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I have never heard of the phrase "taboo deformation." These are just lists of euphemisms -- a common phenomena. Why call it "taboo deformation?" SR

I think I got the term, as well as the bear example, from the appendix to the AHD. I don't have the AHD handy, so if you do, please check. -PierreAbbat

Uh ... I guess you mean the American Heritage Dictionary (AHD can stand for a lot of things -- am I wrong)? Okay, this is a respected source but it is pretty limited -- I hope someone out there can add more information, viz. who coined the term, how widespread is its use, and in what ways is it different from "euphimism" SR

I can understand the desire for a replacement for "breast", but "thigh" and "leg"? Needs some explanation if it's true. I wouldn't think that the terms "drumstick" and "white meat" were invented because of the desire to avoid a taboo word. "Drumstick" is a fun word for little kids, and "white meat" contrasts to "dark meat", which is a useful distinction.

Also, what use is a replacement for an Indo-European word in an English Wikipedia? How do you have a replacement for an Indo-European word, which is a language that doesn't really exist (nobody actually speaks it)? Why would "bear" be a taboo word anyway? --GG


As indicated above, I removed the following section:


Some taboo-replaced words:

rksos (Indo-European bear)
bruin (brown) in Germanic, medw-etis (honey-eater) in Slavic
leg (of chicken)
drumstick
thigh
second joint
breast
white meat

Clicked in looking actual for information on words being replaced in actual language because the original term is taboo... basically like a negative female concept originally named Sheeboo (totally made up) being called "she who shall not be named" for so long that a variant of the words for 'she who shall not be named' BECOMES the name... but instead I got a list of modern euphemisms... different things, or at least at very different parts of their evolutionary paths.. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 97.92.44.197 (talk) 09:47, 3 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]