Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993.
VULGAR (adj.), VULGARITY (n.)
The adjective vulgar began by referring to “the people, the masses and their characteristics,” and inevitably, therefore, it pejorated into additional meanings, beginning with “lacking in taste or cultivation,” then to “coarse,” to “morally bad or depraved,” to “gross,” to “earthy,” to “offensive,” to “indecent,” and finally to “obscene.” The word still retains all these senses. A vulgar word or phrase—a vulgarity—considered indecent or obscene is usually taboo in Standard English, particularly if it is the kind of obscenity that most people consider disgusting, repulsive, or offensive to decency; the use of such language can bring harsh social judgments.
Vulgarity is also used generally to refer to characteristics peculiar to the masses and to their lack of taste, discrimination, and good manners as judged by those who consider themselves above such people. In language use, vulgarity is one kind of Substandard language—coarse, crude, and ill-mannered at best, and obscene and taboo at worst. Dictionaries use obscene and vulgar as labels to guide the inexperienced: words or senses so labeled are either taboo or extremely limited in Standard use. See also OBSCENE (1); OBSCENE (2); PROFANITY; TABOO WORDS.
