…and somehow, I never learned that the French words for tabernacle, ciborium, and sacristy were swear words in Canada.
You’d think we’d have picked that up, maybe in eighth grade.
A new ad campaign in Montreal is trying to take these words back:
Several Montreal churches were festooned with gigantic black posters with the names of religious objects in blood-red letters and the true definition in smaller white type.
"Tabernacle!" shouted one example. "Small cupboard locked by key in the middle of the altar containing the ciborium."
Another explained that "ciboire" (ciborium, in English) is a container that holds the "hostie" (hosts) for communion.
Both words, along with "calisse" (chalice), "sacristie" (sacristy) and "sacrement" (sacrament) have also become curses in Quebec’s version of the French language. Among others.
Even with the blasphemy angle, it’s hard not to see this as kind of funny, if you’re interested in language at all. I suppose someone’s probably already written a book on the difference between anglophone and francophone swear words.
(N. B. In an effort to describe anglophone swearing, I just tried to write a sentence that combined the terms "copulation," "excrement," and "roll off the tongue." It didn’t go well. I don’t recommend it.)
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