Russian mat
Overview
Mat is the term for strong obscene profanity
in Russian
and some other Slavic language communities.
Use of mat is censored in the media and use of mat in public constitutes a form of disorderly conduct
, punishable under article 20.1.1 of the Offences Code of Russia, although it is only enforced episodically, in particular due to vagueness of the legal definition. Despite the public ban, mat is used by Russians of all ages and in all social groups, with particular fervor in male-dominated military and the structurally similar social strata.
It is commonly believed that the name мат mat derives from мать mat' , the Russian word for "mother".
The term might also come from a word meaning "loud yell", which is now used in only a few expressions such as "благим матом".
Obscenities are among the earliest recorded attestations of the Russian language (the first written mat words date to Middle Ages).
Profanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
in Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
and some other Slavic language communities.
Use of mat is censored in the media and use of mat in public constitutes a form of disorderly conduct
Disorderly conduct
Disorderly conduct is a criminal charge in most jurisdictions in the United States. Typically, disorderly conduct makes it a crime to be drunk in public, to "disturb the peace", or to loiter in certain areas. Many types of unruly conduct may fit the definition of disorderly conduct, as such...
, punishable under article 20.1.1 of the Offences Code of Russia, although it is only enforced episodically, in particular due to vagueness of the legal definition. Despite the public ban, mat is used by Russians of all ages and in all social groups, with particular fervor in male-dominated military and the structurally similar social strata.
It is commonly believed that the name мат mat derives from мать mat' , the Russian word for "mother".
The term might also come from a word meaning "loud yell", which is now used in only a few expressions such as "благим матом".
Obscenities are among the earliest recorded attestations of the Russian language (the first written mat words date to Middle Ages).
Unanswered Questions
