The infamous “f-bomb”
It has clearly ventured outside of the bedroom…
The word “fuck” as we know it today has changed very little over the course of its history. Since its introduction in the Renaissance, it has been used as a verb to describe sexual acts and replaced the word “sex” itself.
Through its evolution, fuck has taken on various new meanings, equating feelings of frustration, anger, disbelief, and urgency. It has become one of the most versatile words in the English language and can replace a noun, an action, an adverb, and an adjective.
If it is applied to a noun or adjective, it is meant to be derogatory, describing an annoying or troublesome individual or circumstance.
Shit
The cows no longer need a vet…
It is unclear when this word entered the English language, but it was originally meant to express loose bowel movements in cattle or livestock. The word has now taken on multiple connotations.
It is estimated that in the early 1300s, it grew to encompass all bowel movements, not just favouring the world’s capital methane producers. It could be used as either a verb or noun by this time.
It was not until 1885 that it began to be used to describe a person of poor character, an unfortunate situation, poorly made objects, or as an expression of exasperation or shock.
Dick
Not your average Tom, Dick, or Harry…
This word has not always been a swear word. In the 1500s, it was a shortened version of the name Richard. It also was a sexist term when used as an adjective because like the name Jack, it was associated with a stereotypical man’s less flattering qualities. It also could be used in place of such terms as “know-it-all” or “Smart Alec.” In the 1730s, it began to lose its negative undertones completely, used instead of the word “ditch.”
By the 1800s, it took on yet another meaning, and was used to describe a leather apron or smock. It has been used since then to refer to slang in speech, police officers or detectives, the acts of voicing an opinion or wasting time, and a certain body part, but that addition is fairly recent.
Bitch
Not just something to bark about…
It may have more than four letters, but this modern-day swear word is common and powerful. Its history is also the most complex. In approximately the year 1000CE, the word “bitch” was incorporated into Old English to mean a female dog. It was also used to describe promiscuous women, obedient men, and disobedient female children.
In 1386, the word bicced (pronounced bitched) came into the language, its meaning has been widely debated. The closest equivalents have been narrowed down to shrewd, forbidden, or cursed. It also was used to describe the process of dicing food, specifically bones or meat products. By the mid-1600s, it was used more commonly as a verb which would imply that a man was spending significant periods of time in brothels. It was not until the late 1930s that it became associated with crankiness or meanness, specifically in women.
Source: Oed.com. Oxford English EnDictionary Online, 2014. Web.
