Q: No "offensive" words in Amerindian languages?

[Joel S. Berson]

Someone wrote elsewhere:
>There is a bit of linguistic folklore to the effect that the
>Amerindian languages have no "offensive" words in their lexicons. I
>somewhat suspect that this situation would be preferable to ours.

Sounds like a sub-urban legend to me.  Particularly when (on this
list?) others have written of anthropologists reporting having been
taken in and unknowingly having referred to important people with
obscenities.  Is this "linguistic folklore" supported or refuted?  By
whom, and where?

Joel

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