By far, this is one of the most confusing aspects of а given language for new learners. Unlike most other expressions or forms of humour, which can easily be identified or referenced in the writing itself, today’s word, due to its subtle nature and hidden sub-context, can often be a tightly-held secret of those who are fluent in a language.
Regardless of how it has been defined, sarcasm, as a verbal device, can be considered to be as old as spoken language itself. While, much like we “know art when we see it,” we may know sarcasm when we hear it, but what about the word itself?
Our word, sarcasm, comes from the Late Latin sarcasmus, which comes from the late Greek sarkasmos, meaning “a sneer, mockery, or taunting.” Though from the ancient Greeks to the modern day, sarcasm is used as a way to cuttingly express contempt; the base word deals with the term in the actual sense of butchery, with sarx meaning a “piece of mean” and the extended sarkazein literally meaning “to strip off the flesh” or, on our sense, to tear away at the image of something or someone.
Properly and sparingly used, sarcasm can be an amazing linguistic tool. But studies have shown that sarcasm, especially when overused, is perceived by others as showing hostility and jealousy, and can be harmful to an individual’s happiness and relationships. Additionally, it is noted that, where actual wit takes talent, sarcasm, when relied on too heavily, can demonstrate a lack of intelligence and understanding.
The first known written use of the word sarcasm comes from Edmund Spenser’s 1579 poem, The Shepheardes Calendar, which writes that, “Tom piper, an ironic Sarcastic, spoken in derision of these rude wits, which [etc.].” Henry Hutton’s 1619 work, Follie’s Anatomy, drawing the reader in, states, “Muse, show the rigour of a Satyr’s art, In harsh Sarcasm, dissonant and smart.” In closing, considering what was states earlier, Robert Burton’s Anatomy of Melancholy, perhaps, says it best: “Many are of so petulant a spleen, and have that figure Sarcasm so often in their mouths,..that they must bite.”
