An Overview of Vulgar and Abusive Words in Popular Literature Since Song and Yuan Dynasties

Since Song and Yuan Dynasties, various kinds of vulgar and abusive words have been scattering among the popular literary works. To examine these words, we will have no difficulty to find that they are based on the prejudice against country people. As a matter of fact, this has become a phenomenon of which rural people have been discriminated. Why does it occur? This is mainly because the writers of these literary works are largely from towns. And they feel they are richer, more cultured and in higher place than those country people. Therefore, they look down upon those rural ones. Consequently, they form words with“rural” to call others’ names or laugh at others. In the final analysis, this is because that rural people are poor in economy and backward in culture. Accordingly, only when such poverty and backwardness are removed can the dis- crimination against country people disappear.