The aim of this paper is to map out some of the myriad meanings vulgarity assumed from its original definition as something belonging to ordinary people (synonym of the vernacular) to its modern meaning as something or someone that is coarsely commonplace; lacking in refinement or good taste; uncultured; ill bred. Track the diverse ramifications of vulgarity over the course of history and in relation to a complex set of political and social changes. Look at the ways in which its linguistic status shifted from a mere descriptor to take on a pejorative value or a subversive function. To put it in a nutshell, examine the vulgar as a critical category (and seek to understand the multifarious processes by which it acquired its present meanings).