Scurrility

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The use of coarse, rude, or indecent words or actions that insult or offend others
2. Behavior or speech that involves coarse and improper expressions meant to shock or disrespect
3. Conduct or language that is vulgar, disrespectful, and designed to degrade or insult

Etymology: Scurrility traces back to the Latin "scurra," a word for a buffoon, jester, or city-dweller who hung around wealthy patrons for free meals and amusement. The Romans applied it to a certain kind of stock clown, the sort who made his living by mocking and joking at others, which is why the sense of coarse, insulting talk was built into the family from the start. The adjective "scurrilous" came into English first, and "scurrility" was formed from it by adding the suffix "-ity," which turns an adjective into a noun meaning the quality or state described. The noun reached English from the Latin "scurrilitas," a word that already meant buffoonery or coarse jesting. So the chain runs from a man who entertained for a living, to the vulgar jokes he told, to the quality of such joking, and finally to the crude abuse that the modern word names.

Synonyms: coarseness, vulgarity, ribaldry, obscenity, insolence

Antonyms: politeness, decency, courtesy, respect, refinement