Some of the most common turns of phrase you’ve heard in life are taboo deformations, so what exactly are they? I’m so glad you asked! Taboo deformations are excellent stand-ins for things you don’t actually want to say — a minced oath, like “fudge!” for . . . well, you know — or things your culture is scared of saying — such as the word bear — and are definitely not taboo to say. These deformations are useful not just because they let us swear without swearing and talk about the unspeakable, but because they broaden our languages and provide creative fuel for storytellers. And as storytellers, we want all the tools in our language kits so we can tell the best stories.
Why would you use a taboo deformation?
Aside from the everyday purpose a taboo deformation, writers purposefully use this construct to create narrative depth and mystery. It allows us to talk about that-which-shall-not-be-named without having to use the words. A taboo deformation is circumlocution. It is a stand-in for something else. You can make this stand-in as long or short as you like; as pithy or trite; as revealing or vague. While using too many can absolutely detract from your narrative (it becomes bogged down or incomprehensible), well-used taboo deformations make a story more memorable and can be both a playful and meaningful way to engage with your readers.
When you look back on the history of continental European languages (including English), you can see a lot of taboo deformations at work. The entire history of the word “bear” is fascinating, hence the image on this article. Read up on it here if you’re interested: https://languagehat.com/taboo-deformation-and-the-bear/ To sum it up, humans learned to be so scared of bears in our early years that it fundamentally changed our language and the way we talk about things. My favourite example of this is the naming of our poles: arctic (bears here) and antarctic (no bears here). Honestly.
So, fiction writers, as you’re building your worlds, consider the history of the planet and the types of predators that would once have been truly fearsome and deadly to those people. Weave that into the legends, nicknames, superstitions, media, and other elements to make your worlds feel more realistic.
What is the difference between kennings and taboo deformations?
If you’re creating a fictional world with a mystical or religious background, or if you’re doing non-fiction work on Viking cultures (for example), you may also make use of kenning. What is kenning? Merriam-Webster defines kenning as “a metaphorical compound word or phrase (such as swan-road for ocean) used especially in Old English and Old Norse poetry.” But that doesn’t really give you a good grasp, does it? Kennings use imagery and short phrases to encapsulate an entire experience, rather than a single word or descriptor. Another example from Old Norse would be sea-steed for ship. It is a word and a modifier. A kenning is a great literary tool that changes the pace of your writing and makes something sound more archaic or important or reverent while adding in layers of story — either to be unpacked at a later date, much like Robert Jordan does in The Wheel of Time, or to make sense immediately and add some insight to the scene in the way J.R.R. Tolkien does in The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings.
Can you think of others you know or can create? Calling a sword “man’s doom” and tears “eye rain” are all real kennings in Old Norse or Old English. And many fantasy writers, particularly Tolkien, use kennings as clever ways to create rhythmical prose in text, or as parts of poetry. Think back to any time Bilbo’s had to introduce himself to an enemy or is trying to be impressive. He calls himself web-cutter, ring-winner, friend of eagles, barrel-rider, and more. These descriptive names are kennings that harken back to his adventures. Mother of dragons is a kenning for Kaleesi, as is giant-slayer for Tormund, in George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones. They describe things the character has done without naming the person . . . but it is easy to know who is being referred to.
Kennings and taboo deformations should be easy to understand and resonate with the reader. However, with a taboo deformation, you are trying to avoid saying the thing; a kenning is simply a creative replacement.
How do I create a taboo deformation?
Taboo deformations need to share some point of reference with the thing they’re replacing. Consider what you want to hold sacred in your narrative and harvest that for your taboo deformation (and even kenning) fodder. It’s a quick way to help your own world building along as well because now you’re thinking about culture, social dynamics, and history. You’ve really completed a picture of your world when you can find ways to profane more than one way with the language!
You can alter a bad or taboo word to make it more acceptable to say (like how we ended up with dagnabbit), thus creating a taboo deformation. For example, in English, you can use clustermug for clusterfuck or cheese-and-rice for Jesus Christ. The Québécois use of tabernouche in place of tabarnak also comes to mind. Perhaps you’ve said “shut the front door” instead of shut the fuck up? That’s a taboo deformation too.
You see, we use taboo deformations all the time! How will you use them in your writing?
Right Your Writing 