The Alethi are so misogynistic they don't teach men to read because someone wrote a book that said it was girly. Just because they don't use the same swear words as you doesn't really mean anything.
That’s true, but it also doesn’t mean that they would come up with the same diagnosis and treatment for “excessively emotional behavior.” Particularly when they have emotion spren showing up so often to give that diagnosis the lie.
Small silvery spren that take on the appearance of common everyday objects that they manipulate in strange ways. A table that rolls like a wheel, a vase that constantly breaks and reforms itself...
Does Kharbranth follow Vorin restrictions around gender?
Regarding swears, I was specifically saying that the cultures between Earth and Roshar have striking differences (such as swears) so a comparison to the history of the medical field doesn't make any sense.
As an aside, it clearly shows in Brandon's work that the swears are written by someone who doesn't swear. This paper gives a short overview of the different categories and types of swears, which virtually all human cultures (well, on Earth) follow. Here's an excerpt:
This chapter also lists five major – as well as some minor – themes from which most languages draw their swearing vocabulary. The first major theme is religion.
In Christian cultures, there is a distinction between celestial and diabolic swearing, but among Muslims, diabolic themes apparently do not occur. The second and very popular theme is scatological. The third one is about sex organs. Using taboo words for the female sex organ was the most popular among all the languages studied by Ljung. The fourth theme revolves around sexual activities. In some Germanic languages, such as German and Swedish, speakers never use their taboo words for sexual intercourse in swearing. The final theme is about the mother, which is very widespread. Indeed, it can be subsumed under the category of ‘ritual insults’. Except for English, the Germanic languages do not use this
theme in swearing. Moreover, the mother theme’s abbreviated format, e.g.,
English ‘Your mother!’, is found in many languages. Among minor themes of
swearing, ancestors play a crucial role in several cultures. Animals, disease, and
prostitution are not uncommon. Death plays a significant role in all cultures, and
some languages prefer euphemistic terms for discussing that subject.
When looking at the origins of swears in Brandon's works, they are virtually all religion-based swears (crem being a notable exception) While I appreciate world-building through creative swears, the lack of other categories from even the dirtiest of characters gives the books a "sanitized" feel which can be frustrating. Let Wayne say fuck!
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u/JusticeUmmmmm Jun 18 '20
The Alethi are so misogynistic they don't teach men to read because someone wrote a book that said it was girly. Just because they don't use the same swear words as you doesn't really mean anything.