Editing Profanity (section)

=== Other subjects ===
Illness has historically been used to swear by wishing a plague on others.{{Sfn|Matusz|2017|p=37}} The names of various diseases are used as profane words in some languages; ''Pokkers'' ({{translation|pox}}) appears in both Danish and Norwegian as an exclamation and an intensifier.{{Sfn|Ljung|2011|p=43}} Death is another common theme in Asian languages such as [[Cantonese]].{{Sfn|Ljung|2011|p=42}} Terminology of [[mental illness]] has become more prominent as profanity in the Western world, with terms such as ''[[idiot]]'' and ''[[Retard (pejorative)|retard]]'' challenging one's mental competency.{{Sfn|Matusz|2017|p=40}}

Profane phrases directed at the listener's mother exist across numerous major languages, though it is absent from Germanic languages with the exception of English. These phrases often include terms of abuse that implicate the subject's mother, such as ''son of a bitch'' in English or {{lang|zh-Latn|wáng bā dàn}} ({{Translation|child of a cuckolded man}}) in Mandarin.{{Sfn|Ljung|2011|p=41}} Russian profanity places heavy emphasis on the sexual conduct of the listener's female relatives, either by describing sexual activity involving them or suggesting that the listener engage in activities with them.{{Sfn|Ljung|2011|p=2}} [[Aboriginal Australian]] languages sometimes invoke one's deceased ancestors in profanity.{{Sfn|Ljung|2011|p=42}}

The names of political ideologies are sometimes invoked as swear words by their opponents. ''[[Fascist]]'' is [[Fascist (insult)|commonly used]] as an epithet in the modern era, replacing historical use of ''[[Radical politics|radical]]''.{{Sfn|Hughes|2015|p=94}} Far-left groups have historically used words like ''[[capitalist]]'' and ''[[imperialist]]'' as terms of abuse, while anti-communist speakers use ''[[communist]]'' in [[Red-baiting|the same manner]].{{Sfn|Hughes|2015|p=350}} The use of political terms in a profane sense often leads to the term becoming less impactful or losing relevance as a political descriptor entirely.{{Sfn|Hughes|2015|pp=350–351}}

Words for animals can be used as terms of abuse despite not being inherently profane, commonly referencing some attribute of the animal. Examples in English include ''[[Bitch (slang)|bitch]]'' to demean a woman or ''[[louse]]'' to describe someone unwanted.{{Sfn|Matusz|2017|pp=37–38}} They may also be used in interjections like the Italian {{lang|it|porco dio}} ({{Translation|pig of a God}}).{{Sfn|Ljung|2011|p=42}} Animal-related profanity is distinct from other forms in that it is used similarly across different languages.{{Sfn|Matusz|2017|p=43}} Terms for dogs are among the most common animal swears across languages, alongside those for cows, donkeys, and pigs.{{Sfn|Matusz|2017|p=41}} Swear words related to monkeys are common in Arabic and East Asian cultures.{{Sfn|Matusz|2017|p=45}}

[[Pejorative|Slurs]] are words that target a specific demographic.{{Sfn|Stapleton|Beers Fägersten|Stephens|Loveday|2022|p=2}} These are used to project [[xenophobia]] and [[prejudice]], often through the use of [[stereotype]]s. They typically develop in times of increased contact of conflict between different races or ethnic groups, including times of war between two or more nations.{{Sfn|Hughes|2015|pp=146, 486}} Terms for minority groups are sometimes used as swears. This can apply to both profane terms such as ''[[kike]]'' or non-profane terms such as ''[[gay#Generalized pejorative use|gay]]''.{{Sfn|Matusz|2017|p=37}} Many of these are culture-specific.{{Sfn|Matusz|2017|p=41}} In a case of using the name of one group to demean another, [[Hun]] came to be associated with a brutish caricature of Germans, first during the [[Renaissance]] and again during [[World War I]].{{Sfn|Hughes|2015|pp=243–244}} Some terms for people of low class or status can become generically profane or derogatory. English examples include ''villain'', ''lewd'', and ''scum''.{{Sfn|Hughes|2015|p=319}}