An Encyclopedia of Swearing: The Social History of Oaths, Profanity, Foul Language, and Ethnic Slurs in the English-Speaking World

Author / Editor
Hughes, Geoffrey.

Title
An Encyclopedia of Swearing: The Social History of Oaths, Profanity, Foul Language, and Ethnic Slurs in the English-Speaking World

Published
Armonk, N.Y.: M. E. Sharpe, 2006.

Physical Description
xxv, 573 pp.

Description
Several hundred entries cover a wide range of historical and conceptual topics, individual words, important landmarks in the history of swearing, etc. Very few entries are given over to individual writers, although the entry on Chaucer is lengthy (pp. 67-73). The entry surveys the varieties of swearing, profanity, and obscenity in CT and cross-references related topics such as "Cherles Termes," "Saints' Names," and "Virago." The volume includes a brief bibliography for most entries, a brief chronology, and an index.

Chaucer Subjects
Language and Word Studies.
Bibliographies, Reports, and Reference.