Language reflects the culture from which it is derived and developed. It mirrors the customs, emotions and psychology of the people who speak the tongue. English, for example, is known to be a highly rational language that does not allow logical fallacies, inconsistency or incoherency.

If you write grammatically incorrect sentences or contradict yourself in the same paragraph, your writing will immediately lose its validity and credibility. British and American college students’ term papers, for example, are often returned to them with numerous marks that indicate “ww (wrong word),” “incoherent,” or “unclear.”

English also has a great number of words and colloquial expressions which stem from business transactions, sports, gambling, and traveling, all of which are important components of English speaking cultures. For instance, “I don’t buy it,” “That’s not a big deal” or “Give me some credit” comes from business transactions.

Expressions such as “sidelining someone” “face-off” or “sudden death” are derived from sports, whereas phrases like “I’ll pass,” “You bet!” or “double or nothing” stem from gambling. Similarly, words like “Godspeed!” or “Welcome aboard!” are derived from traveling. Indeed, language almost always echoes the culture and mentality of its speakers.

The Korean language is no exception. It embodies Korean culture and psychology. For example, many Korean expressions reflect hard times in the past when eating, living and dying were primary concerns. For example, the word “eat” is incorporated into many phrases such as: eat one’s mind (decide), eat expenses (cost), or eat words (persuade).

In addition, some Koreans of the older generation still greet each other by asking, “Did you have breakfast (lunch or supper) yet?” This phrase reflects the hard times of the past when many Koreans did not know where their next meal would come from. Though Korea has become an affluent society, Koreans still use such greetings.

Koreans also love to use the words “live” and “die.” For example, we frequently say, “I can’t live,” which means “God help me!” or “I can’t stand it.” We also habitually use the word, “die” in order to express extreme conditions, such as “I am dying of thirst.”

The following Korean expressions also come to mind: “I’m so sleepy that I’m dying”; “I’m so scared that I’m dying”; “I’m so tired that I’m dying.” In fact, Koreans tend to attach “die” to many feelings and descriptions in order to make them extreme. People will even say “My daughter is so pretty that I am dying” and “I am so busy that I am dying.”

As a language originally designed for commoners, not scholars or aristocrats, Korean is far more generous and flexible than any other language. Accordingly, slight self-contradictions, minor logical fallacies and inconsistency are generously accepted in the Korean language. Even incoherency, too, is tolerated in Korean writing.

Many Koreans seem to think: “We understand what the writer is trying to convey, why then should we be so fastidious and critical?” In Korea, therefore, anyone can easily write, without fearing mistakes and errors.

The Korean language exhibits quite a rich reservoir of swear words as well. In Korea, people usually engage in an extensive verbal argument long before actually engaging in a fistfight. As a result, you need plenty of dirty words as ammunition to shoot at your opponent. It is true that in other countries where there are less verbal fights, there are less profane words. The Korean maxim, “He who has a bigger voice wins a fight,” too, indicates the need for verbal weapons in Korean society.

Recently, a lawmaker from the Democratic United Party stirred the nation by calling a female politician an improper name. Although he claimed at first that the derogatory term addressing the woman politician was an abbreviation for “she,” and then made another excuse that it was a typo, the milk had been spilt. Recently, a high-school girl committed suicide after receiving numerous insulting text messages full of swear words from male students. Language reflects a speaker’s intellectual decency, and we lament the coarseness of Korean men’s indecent language.

Unlike Korean, many other languages do not seem to have such a plethora of obscene words. It is well known the Japanese language has fewer swear words because verbal fights are not popular in Japan. English, too, does not seem to have as many dirty words.

English has f-words, s-words and a few other offensive expressions such as “Go to hell!” and “Drop dead!” And yet, they cannot possibly compete with Korean swear words which are much more resourceful and colorful. When the iron lady Margaret Thatcher governed Britain, for example, her political foes called her, “TW!” which stood for “That woman!” Koreans were puzzled with the use of such a mild nickname because they are used to hearing much more offensive expressions.

Rita Mae Brown once said, “Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going.” Language reflects our culture. We should watch our choice of expressions so that we can become a decent and civilized society.

By Kim Seong-kon

Kim Seong-kon is a professor of English at Seoul National University and president of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea. ― Ed.