Talk:Taboo deformation

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)