During the Hundred Years' War and many other conflicts between England and France in the Dark Ages, the French came to call the English (and specially its infantry), les goddamns or les goddams after their frequent expletives. Sir Richard Burton also points out the equivalent adoption of Godames in Brazil and Gotama in Somalia [1].
From this expresion also derive the terms goddam, goddem, godden, , and also godons, used by Jeanne d'Arc with the same purpose [2].
This expression has also been used by Acadians in Quebec [3] and Lousiana, and Zachary Richard has included it in the lyrics of a song in French [4].
This sort of appellation based on utterance is common when persons from different cultures interact (see, for example, the nickname Che as applied to Ernesto Guevara). Nowadays, les goddams has somewhat fallen out of favour, and has been partially replaced by les fuckoffs [5].
