Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83 (MC840302); site turing.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!mcvax!turing!aeb From: aeb@turing.UUCP Newsgroups: net.jokes.d,net.nlang Subject: Re: Origin of that strongest of words Message-ID: <208@turing.UUCP> Date: Wed, 3-Oct-84 02:48:15 EDT Article-I.D.: turing.208 Posted: Wed Oct 3 02:48:15 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 4-Oct-84 05:02:22 EDT Organization: CWI, Amsterdam Lines: 62 Apparently-To: rnews@mcvax.LOCAL On the etymology of FUCK Although people have suggested ancient etyma for, and with the same meaning as, fuck [so e.g., Egyptian petcha 'to copulate with', or similar words in Arabic, or the Celtic root *buc- 'a point, to pierce' (Cf. Ir. bot, Mx. bwoit 'penis') which might be the origin of Latin battuere 'to strike', futuere 'to sleep with' [Ref. P. Malvezin, Dictionnaire des racines celtiques, 1924] ] it seems that in the germanic languages this word acquired its present meaning only relatively recently. The basic meaning seems to have been something like 'to thrust, push'. Of course it is possible that such a semantic change has occurred in several languages independently. It is clear that Eng. fuck is related to Dutch fokken 'to breed' and most likely also to German ficken 'to fuck'. (But the vocalism in the G. word is not clear.) Let me trace the oldest attested meanings for the D. and G. words. My Flemish - Flemish & French dictionary from 1717 gives: Fok Fokzeil / Bril ('foresail' / 'spectacles') Fokkery Queekery van hoenderen ('poultry breeding') Hy heeft al wel aangefokt Il a deja une famille nombreuse The MiddleDutch dictionary (Verdam) has: Focke Klein zeil ('small sail') Focken Een loopje nemen met iemand ('to pull a person's leg') Fockert Oplichter(?) ('swindler') Kiliaen (16th century) already gives the following meanings for focken: 'to hoist the sails, to flee, to fit sth., to befit, to thrust, to gather secretly' In Frisian: fok fokzeil / bril / driehoekig stuk land 'triangular area' fokke, fokje fokken 'to breed' In German: ficken 'to fuck' (since 16th century), 'to move quickly to and fro' in MHG: 'to rub' 16th c.: vycken 'to hit with birch-rods' in OHG: mich vikchit 'I itch' In Scandinavian: Sw. focka 'to throw out, to fire, to chase away' ESw dial. focka 'to throw, drive, push, punch, hit' Bohusl. focka, Nor. fukka, ODa. fukke, Jutl. focke 'to fuck' Nor. fik[l]a 'to stir violently, to fumble' [Ref: H. Celander, Orden fock, focka och deres slaektingar. Goeteborgs Hoegskolas Aarsskrift 31 (1925) 112-117.] I disagree with etymologies connecting fuck with Da. fyge, OIc. fjuk 'snow storm', Greek puge 'the behind', MHD fochen 'to blow'. [Ref: J. de Vries, Nederlands Etym. Wdb.] On the other hand I deem it quite likely that there is a connection with Lat. pugnus 'fist', pungo 'to prick, sting' (perf. pupugi), pugio 'dagger' so that the IE root would be *peug- . -- Andries Brouwer -- CWI, Amsterdam -- {philabs,decvax}!mcvax!aeb