In french, and in english too, the word for making a serment and the word for expressing discontent in deliberately inappropriate, trangressive terms, is the same.

I still haven't understood the connection. Did people use to only express anger through blasphematory promises (variations on "by god i will punish this cupboard for having assaulted my toe, by god i swear this is the most despicable cupboard i've ever encountered") ? When religions demanded "don't swear", what were they meaning ?

How do you people make sense of these things ?

(quote from http://www.etymonline.com/)

I can't name any books off the top of my head, but the science you're looking for is "social anthropology".
The first reasonably relevant thing that comes up is "The Anatomy of Swearing" by Ashley Montagu (1967), though further research, of course, wouldn't hurt. In any case - search through what your local library has to offer, if you want anything more than quick trivia.

Uh. I am a social anthropologist.

But I just happened to casually ask myself that question. Casually enough for a forum post (didn't want to throw myself in a full investigation on that). Thanks for the answers.

I'm not a social antr... whatever, but people are not afraid of the words themselves. They are afraid of the strong and possibly incontrollable emotions going in persons who most probably use them.

I guess many religions and cultures try to teach abstinence, also with your emotions. Hence, such strong words are considered bad, even by themselves.

I personally don't consider it any better if some overly aggressive person approaches me and says "Heck! Now you're going to die!". You can just as well say "fuck", doesn't matter much at that point.

Or if my gf says "You know, I love you so fucking much...", that's just kinda neat.

PORKCHOP SANDWICHES

oh shit get the fuck out of here what are you doing go get the fuck out of here you stupid idiot fuck were all dead get the fuck out

Finally!