LAS LENGUAS INGLESA Y ESPAÑOLA de Delfín Carbonell

  There are words proscribed by society as improper and unacceptable, taboo, and which, nevertheless, we have to name and refer to. Such is the case of the word syphilis, a venereal disease that, it seems, is making a comeback. In former times, it was referred to in polite society as The French Disease , morbo gallico .  As the French had also stigmatized the word, they blamed Italians and called it le mal de Naples . Italians retaliated with il mal francese . Spaniards blamed the French also: el mal francés . It was a curse that ravaged Europe for centuries. In his book The World of Yesterday , Stephen Zweig explains its impact upon the youth of his time. 

JESUS and CHRIST are important taboo words in English. Contrary to Spanish, Jesus is never a man´s font name. Many euphemisms have come up to soften the impact: Gee, Jeepers, Creepers, Jeez and even Christmas , among many others.  Jesús en lengua castellana es nombre de persona. Cuando alguien estornuda se le dice ¡Jesús! como en inglés le diremos Bless you!  Trataremos de evitar estas palabras tabú en inglés en nuestra conversación, para no ofender. En castellano está bien. Son actitudes diferentes, en idiomas y culturas diferentes.