Slang, Vulgarism, Profanity and Swear Words
Each dialect and within each dialect; regional, class, age and gender differences would lead to unique slang, vulgarism, profanity and swear words. Following is a list of potential slang by different categories up until 2007.
Certain slang are used only within certain social groups and sometime not understood outside of that group. For example, Aais Amma (ආයිස් අම්මා) is a slang used by certain segments of the Sri Lankan society to express pleasurable surprise (similar to wow!). This slang is not picked up by most of the social classes who regard themselves as more refined. Instead they might use Shaa (ෂා) to express the same feeling. Within Sri Lankan universities, diverse slang exists, which is only used and understood by the university students and the alumni. For example Kuppiya (කුප්පිය) which literally means 'small bottle' or 'small lamp' is used to refer to an informal tuition class conducted by a student, who better knows the subject area for a small study group for free of charge. Within the Army, the term Aati (ආටි) is used to refer to artillery shells so that Aati gahanawa (ආටි ගහනවා) means shelling. These terms such as Kuppia (කුප්පිය) and Aati (ආටි) are mostly not understood outside of the demographic group which uses them.
Read more about this topic: Sinhala Slang
Famous quotes containing the words profanity, swear and/or words:
“Nothing, neither acceptance nor prohibition, will induce a child to stop swearing overnight. Teach your child respect for himself and others, that profanity can hurt, offend, and disgust, and you’ll be doing the best you can...And save your parental giggling over mispronounced curses for after the children’s bedtime.”
—Jean Callahan (20th century)
“And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.”
—Bible: New Testament, Matthew 5:36.
“When Wilson got upon his legs in those days he seems to have gone into a sort of trance, with all the peculiar illusions and delusions that belong to a pedagogue gone mashugga. He heard words giving three cheers; he saw them race across a blackboard like Mexicans pursued by the Polizei; he felt them rush up and kiss him.”
—H.L. (Henry Lewis)