Dutch Disease

Main Body

$~~~~~$In most languages, if someone said you had cancer, it would be a diagnosis. In Dutch, it is more likely to be an insult. Kankerlijer (“cancer-sufferer”) is one of a long list of Dutch profanities and expletives derived from diseases. An undesirable person might be told to “typhus off” (optyfussen) or “get consumption” (krijg de tering). If in (American) English you laugh your ass off, in Dutch you might “laugh yourself the pleurisy” (lachen je de pleuris). No one in England has been called a “poxy bitch” for centuries, but in the Netherlands you can still call someone a pokkenteef. A damned long way is a klereneind (“cholera-end”). And so on.

$~~~~$Because expletives are based on social taboos, in most cultures they are linked to sex, excrement or religion. Many Dutch swear words are as well, but they often feel weaker than the medical ones. Schijt is less like its English cognate and more like the gentler French merde. Mierenneuker (“ant-fucker”) is an anodyne expression for someone who fusses over details. “Whore” is an insult in Dutch too, but when the rapper Lil’ Kleine had a beef with pop singer Anouk last autumn, he went with the harsher kankerhoer (“cancer-whore”).

$~~~~$Scholars are not sure why the Dutch swear with illnesses. One theory links it to Calvinism, the puritanical strain of Protestantism that caught on here in the 16th century, which holds that the virtue of those destined for heaven will show itself in worldly prosperity, health and hygiene. “There was a shift in focus from the afterlife to this life, which, for example, diminished the strength of ‘God damn it’,” says Marten van der Meulen, a Dutch linguist and author of a book on swearing. On this theory, “a curse might be stronger if you used something in actual life, like a disease.”

$~~~~$However, there is also what linguists call the frequency hypothesis: the Dutch may curse with diseases simply because it caught on. Language, as Laurie Anderson said, is a virus. Perhaps someday Dutch kids will savage each other on the playground with cries of coronalijer.

Words Explanations

diagnosis

a judgment about what a particular illness or problem is, made after examining it

origin verb：diagnose —— to recognize and name the exact character of a disease or a problem, by examining it

origin adjective：diagnostic —— connected with identifying something, especially an illness

examples:

1. When we get the results of your blood tests, I should be able to give you a clear diagnosis.
2. He was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic.
3. Diagnostic equipment, methods, or systems are used for discovering what is wrong with people.

insult

1. (v.) to do or to say something that offends somebody
2. (n.) an action that is said or done in order to offends somebody

example:

1. I have never been so insulted in my life!
2. The crowd were shouting insults at the police.

profanity

1. behaviour that shows a lack of respect for God.
2. swear words or religious words used in a way that shows a lack of respect for God

expletive(n.)

an expletive is a rude word or expression such as ‘Damn!’ which you say when you are angry, excited, or in pain.

derive

1. to get something from something or somebody
2. mean something is come from something

examples:

1. Mr Yang is one of those happy people who derive pleasure from helping others.
2. Anna’s strength is derived from her mother.

consumption

1. the consumption of food, energy or meterials is the amount of them that is used or the act of using them.
2. the act of buying and using products.
3. a serious infectious disease of the lungs.(肺结核)

pleurisy

a serious illness that affects the inner covering of the chest and lungs, causing severe pain in the chest or sides.(胸膜炎)

poxy

(adj.) if you describe something or sombody as poxy, they think it has little value or importance.

taboo

1. (n.) if there is a taboo on a subject or activity, it is a social custom to avoid doing that activity or talking about that subject, because people find them embarrassing or offensive.
2. (adj.) as adjective

example:

1. Death is one of the great taboos in our culture.
2. Any talk of divorce is strictly taboo.

excrement

粪便

religion

1. the belief in the existence of a gad or gads, and the activities that are connected with the worship of them, or in the teachings of a spiritual leader.
2. one of the systems of faith that based on the belief in the existence of gads.
3. a particular interest or influence that is very important in your life.

examples:

1. Is there always a conflict between science and religion?
2. Christianity(基督教), Islam(伊斯兰教) and other world religions.
3. For him, football is an absolute religion.

cognate

1. (adj.) having the same origin as another word or language.
2. (n.) a word that has the same origin as another.

examples:

1. German and Dutch are cognate languages.
2. ‘Haus’ and ‘house’ are cognates.

anodyne

intended to avoid causing offence or disagreement, especially by not expressing strong feelings or opinions(adj.温和的，n.止痛药)

fuss

1. (n.) unnecessary excitement, worry or activity.
2. (n.) anger or complaints about something, especially something that is not important.
3. (v.) to do things, or pay too much attention to things, that are not important or necessary.
4. (v.) to worry about things that are not very important.

examples:

1. He does what he’s told without any fuss.
2. I’m sorry for making such a fuss about the noise.
3. Stop fussing around and find something useful to do!
4. Don’t fuss, Mum, everything is all right.

beef

1. (n.) meat that comes from a cow
2. (n.) a complaint
3. (v.) to complain a lot about somebody or something.

examples:

1. What’s his latest beef?
2. Don’t just beef about it!

scholar

1. a person who knows a lot about a particular subject because they have studied it in detail.
2. a student who has been given a scholarship to study at a school, college or university.

puritanical

if you describe someone as puritanical, you mean that they have very strict moral principles, and often try to make other people behave in a more moral way.

examples: He has a puritanical attitude towards sex.

strain

1. (n.) pressure on something or somebody because they have too much to do or manage
2. phisical streches, pushes, or pulls
3. an injury to your body or part of your body, such as your muscle
4. a particular type of plant or animal, or a disease caused by bacteria
5. the sound of music being played or sung
6. (v.) strain sth./sb. to injure yourself or part of your body
7. strain sb. to do sth./strain to do sth. to make an effort to do something
8. to separate liquid food from solid food(过滤)

examples:

1. Their marriage is undedr great strain.
2. The rope broke under great strain.
3. muscle strain
4. This is one of the many strains of the disease.
5. She could hear the strains of Mozart through the window.
6. Could you strain the vegtables, please.
7. I strained a muscle in my back playing squash.

virtue

1. a particular good quality or habit
2. an attractive or useful quality
3. because of

examples:

1. Patience is not one of her virtues, I’m afraid.
2. advantages
3. She succeeded by virtue of/because of her tenacity rather than her talent.

destined

(adj.) having a future which has been decided or planned at an earlier time, especially by fate. destined for… on the way to a place be destined for…have a future which has been decided.

examples:

1. Goods destined for Poland.
2. He was destined for a military career, like his father before him.

prosperity

(n.) the state of being successful, especially in making money

example: The country is enjoying a period of peace and prosperity.

swear

1. to use rude or offensive language, usually because you are angry.
2. to make a serious promise to do something.
3. to promise that you are telling the truth.
4. to make a public or official promise, especially in court.

examples:

1. I don’t like to hear children swearing.
2. I swear that I’ll never leave you.
3. She swore that she’d never seen him before.
4. Witness were required to swear on the Bible.

hygiene

(n.) the practice of keeping youself and your living and working areas clean in order to prevent illness and disease

example: food hygiene, personal hygiene

diminish

1. make something become smaller, weaker
2. to make somebody/something seem less important than they really are

examples:

1. The world’s resources are rapidly diminishing.
2. I don’t wish to diminish the importance of their contribution.

linguist

1. (n.) a person who knows several foreign languages well.
2. a person who studies languages or linguistics.

curse

1. (n.) a rude or offensive word or phrase that some people use when they are very angry.
2. a word or phrase that has a magic power to make something bad happen.
3. something that causes harm or evil
4. (v.) speak angrily
5. to say magic words which are intended to bring bad luck to someone

hypothesis

(n.) an idea or explanation of something that is based on a few known facts but that has not yet been proved to be true or correct

example: There is little evidence to support these hypotheses.

virus

1. (n.) a small thing, too small to be seen without a microscope, that causes infectious disease in people, animals and plants.
2. a disease caused by a virus
3. a computer program or part of a computer program which can make copies of itself and is intended to prevent the computer from working normally.

savage

1. (adj.) aggressive and violent, causing great harm
2. involving great strong criticism
3. an offensive way to describe groups of people or customs that are considered to be simple and not highly developed
4. (v.) to attack someone violently and badly
5. (n.) a person whose way of life is at very early stage of development

Added Words Explanation

paranoid

1. (adj.) afraid or suspicious of other people and believing that they are trying to harm you, in a way that is not reasonable.
2. (adj.) suffering from a mental illness in which you wrongly believe that other people are trying to harm you or that you are very important.
3. (n.) paranoid people

examples:

1. He started feeling paranoid and was convinced his boss was going to fire him.
2. He was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic.

suspicious

1. making you feel that something illegal is happening or that something is wrong.
2. feeling doubt or no trust in someone or something.

examples:

1. There were some suspicious characters hanging around outside.
2. They are deeply/highly suspicious of each other’s motives.

infectious

1. an infectious disease can be passed easily from one person to another, especially through the air they breathe.
2. describe something that has an effect on everyone who is present and makes them want to join in.

examples:

1. an infectious disease
2. an infectious laugh

primitive

1. (adj.) belonging to a very simple society whith no industry
2. belonging to an early stage in the development of humans or animals
3. very simple and old-fashioned, especially when something is also not convenient and comfortable(简陋)
4. (n.) refer to artists or their works which is in a very simple style or are before the Renaissance