List of figures
Figure 1.The frequency of swear words used by Poles (CBOS, 2007)45
Figure 2.The average age of respondents171
Figure 3.The gender of respondents171
Figure 4.Respondents’ place of birth172
Figure 5.Respondents’ place of birth173
Figure 6.Respondents’ levels of education173
Figure 7.Father’s location174
Figure 8.Mother’s location175
Figure 9.The level of education of respondents’ fathers176
Figure 10.The level of education of respondents’ mothers177
Figure 11.The employment status of respondents’ fathers177
Figure 12.The employment status of respondents’ mothers178
Figure 13.Religious affiliation at birth179
Figure 14.Religious affiliation at birth180
Figure 15.Religious affiliation at present180
Figure 16.Religious affiliation at present181
Figure 17.Respondents’ membership in organizations181
Figure 18.Word list rating results for Polish swear words184
Figure 19.Respondents’ responses to the question: “What words are these?”187
Figure 20.The deletion of offensive words from the list191
Figure 21.The list of words respondents would not use199
Figure 22.The respondents’ responses to the question: “Is offensiveness of these words
fixed and unchanging?”202
Figure 23.The most frequently heard Polish swear word203
Figure 24.The frequency of swear words use206
Figure 25.The places where the respondents hear swear words206
Figure 26.The respondents’ rules concerning swearing207
Figure 27.The instructors’ use of swear words207
Figure 28.The respondents’ responses to the question: “Does your father use swear words
when he speaks to you?”208
Figure 29.The participants’ responses to the question: “Does your mother use swear
words when she speaks to you?”208
Figure 30.The respondents’ answers to the question: “Do you ever consciously try not to
swear?”209
Figure 31.The respondents’ answers to the question: “Is there a type of person you
think should not use swear words”209
Figure 32.People who the respondents most likely swear among210
Figure 33.The respondents’ usage of swear words in the classroom210
Figure 34.The totals for swear words use while communicating with friends211
Figure 35.The respondents’ responses to: “Are there times when you try to use swear
words more often than usual?”211
Figure 36.The emotional state in which the respondents are most likely to use swear
words212
Figure 37.The respondents’ use of swear words while speaking to a father212
Figure 38.The respondents’ use of swear words while speaking to a mother213
Figure 39.The reason for using swear words by respondents213
Figure 40.The respondents’ answers to: “Do you feel offended when people you do not
know use swear words when they speak to you?”214
Figure 41.The respondents’ responses to: “Are there times when you try to use swear
words less often than usual?”215
Figure 42.The state which affects swearing215
Figure 43.The frequency of unintentional swearing of questionnaire respondents216
Figure 44.The frequency of swearing while communicating with the opposite sex216
Figure 45.The acceptability of swearing among instructors217
Figure 46.People who respondents are least likely to swear among218
Figure 47.The frequency of swearing by men218
Figure 48.The frequency of swearing by respondents’ friends219
Figure 49.The respondents’ responses to: “Do you feel offended when your friends use
swear words when they speak to you?”219
Figure 50.Word offensiveness rating in context for kurewsko
(‘fucking’)220
Figure 51.Word offensiveness rating in context for gówno (‘shit’) and
pieprzonej (‘fucking’)221
Figure 52.Word offensiveness rating in context for gówniania
(‘shitty’)221
Figure 53.Word offensiveness rating in context for dupsko (‘arse’) and
wali z tobą w chuja (‘fuck with sb’/‘lie’)222
Figure 54.Word offensiveness rating in context for gówno (‘shit’) and kurwa
(‘fuck/whore’)223
Figure 55.Word offensiveness rating in context for pieprzyć (‘fuck’)223
Figure 56.The respondents’ views on swearing224
Figure 57.The reactions to the questionnaire225
Figure 58.A histogram of emotional tones: Sentimo sample result for suka
(‘bitch’)232
Figure 59.A histogram of emotional tones: Sentimo result for dupa (‘arse’), cholera
(‘damn’), kurwa (‘fuck/bitch’), kutas (‘cock’), dziwka (‘whore’), gówno (‘shit’), chuj
(‘dick’), dupek (‘asshole’), drań (‘bastard’), skurwysyn (‘motherfucker’), wkurwić
się (‘get pissed off’), pierdolić (‘fuck sb’), czarnuch (‘nigger’), pojebany (‘fucked
up’), opierdalać (‘bollock’), srać (‘take a shit’), pierdzieć (‘fart’), napierdalać
(‘beat up’), rozpierducha (‘roughhouse, mess’)233
Figure 60.The offensiveness distribution for suka (‘bitch’)234
Figure 61.The offensiveness distribution for dupa (‘arse’)235
Figure 62.The offensiveness distribution for cholera (‘damn’)235
Figure 63.The offensiveness distribution for kurwa (‘fuck/bitch’)236
Figure 64.The offensiveness distribution for kutas (‘cock’)236
Figure 65.The offensiveness distribution for dziwka (‘whore’)237
Figure 66.The offensiveness distribution for gówno (‘shit’)237
Figure 67.The offensiveness distribution for chuj (‘dick’)238
Figure 68.The offensiveness distribution for dupek (‘asshole’)238
Figure 69.The offensiveness distribution for drań (‘bastard’)239
Figure 70.The offensiveness distribution for skurwysyn (‘motherfucker’)239
Figure 71.The offensiveness distribution for wkurwić się (‘get pissed off’)240
Figure 72.The offensiveness distribution for pierdolić (‘fuck sb’)240
Figure 73.The offensiveness distribution for czarnuch (‘nigger’)241
Figure 74.The offensiveness distribution for pojebany (‘fucked up’)241
Figure 75.The offensiveness distribution for opierdalać (‘bollock’)242
Figure 76.The offensiveness distribution for srać (‘take a shit’)242
Figure 77.The offensiveness distribution for pierdzieć (‘fart’)243
Figure 78.The offensiveness distribution for napierdalać (‘beat up’)243
Figure 79.The offensiveness distribution for rozpierducha (‘roughhouse’,
‘mess’)244
Figure 80.The offensiveness rate for Q50: “Female 1: To są kurewsko fajne
buty (These are fucking good shoes). Female 2: Serio! (seriously!)
Female 3: Dzięki. To moje nowe buciory (Thanks, these are my new shoes)244
Figure 81.The offensiveness rate for Q51: Male 1: Wiesz co? te buty, co chcesz kupić
mam na górze. Przyniosę je jeśli chcesz je kupić a jak nie chcesz i chcesz kupić
gówno to kup gówno (You know what? these shoes you want to buy are upstairs. I
will bring them if you want to buy them. If you want to buy shit,
then buy shit). Male 2: Masz tam cały inwentarz na górze na tej
pieprzonej ścianie (You’ve got all your inventory up there on
that fucking wall). Male 1: No. (yeah)245
Figure 82.The offensiveness rate for Q52: Female: Ta sytuacja w której sięznalazłeś
była gówniana (That situation you found yourself in was
shitty). Male 1: Tak, wiem. (Yeah, I know)245
Figure 83.The offensiveness rate for Q53: Female 1: Jest tam czeka na Ciebie (He is
there waiting for you). Female 2: Siedzi i wali z tobą w chuja.
Nigdzie nie idzie. Muszę ruszyć tam dupsko. (He is sitting there
and fucking with you. He is not going anywhere. I need to get my
arse over there). Female 1: (śmiech) (laughing)246
Figure 84.The offensiveness rate for Q54: Female 1: Śmierdziało jak gówno. Miałem to na
szyji i pomyślałem: “Co to, kurwa?!” (It smelled like shit. I had it around my
neck and thought, “What the fuck is that?!). Female 2: fuu, obrzydliwe! (ahh,
disgusting!)247
Figure 85.The offensiveness rate for Q55: Male 1: Widziałeś gdzieś Piotrka? (Have you
seen Piotr?). Male 2: Chyba wyszedł pieprzyć swoją dziewczynę. (I
think he went out to fuck his girl-friend). Male 1: Co? Oni są
razem? (What? Are they together?)247