On Jan 6, 2006, at 3:33 PM, Mia McDavid wrote: > > > Howard Brazee wrote: > >> >> We have seen religious cursing in Dragaera. I'm told French >> cursing >> is religious. U.S. tends to be sexual and scatological. I >> wonder how >> this varies around our world - and around Vlad's world. >> > There is a very great deal of religious cursing in Italy, the > locale of the Roman Catholic Church. > > For more information on cursing; indeed, as much information as you > would ever want to know about cursing, go to http://www.sonic.net/ > maledicta/ , the Internet home of the Journal of Verbal Abuse. > This is a legitimate scholarly site, in spite of the proprietor's > 'tude and the subject matter. > >> A similar change in meaning is "bitch", which used to be used to >> describe female dogs the way we use "cow" to describe female bulls. > > > Interesting that in English the cattlebeast is the only one > generically referred to in the feminine. Dog is masculine, Cat is > neuter, but Cow is feminine. > > Mia How udderly insightful!