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| ⚫ | ''Fuck'' is one of the strongest ]s in the ]. | ||
| To '''fuck''' is to ], sometimes aggressively. | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| It is often ] as '''the f-word''' or '''f***'''. | It is often ] as '''the f-word''' or '''f***'''. | ||
| It is one of the so-called "]". | It is one of the so-called "]" banned by the FCC: ''shit'', ''piss'', ''fuck'', ''cunt'', ''cocksucker'', ''motherfucker'' and ''tits''. | ||
| Similar to other swearwords and taboo words, in the vast majority of cases | Similar to other swearwords and taboo words, in the vast majority of cases | ||
| "fuck" is not used in its original, literal meaning. | "fuck" is not used in its original, literal meaning (to ], sometimes aggressively.). | ||
| Rather, it is an intensifier expressing nothing but the speaker's strong | Rather, it is an intensifier expressing nothing but the speaker's strong | ||
| emotional involvement. | emotional involvement. | ||
Revision as of 18:50, 23 September 2002
Fuck is one of the strongest vulgarisms in the English language. It is often bowdlerized as the f-word or f***. It is one of the so-called "four-letter words" banned by the FCC: shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker and tits.
Similar to other swearwords and taboo words, in the vast majority of cases "fuck" is not used in its original, literal meaning (to copulate, sometimes aggressively.). Rather, it is an intensifier expressing nothing but the speaker's strong emotional involvement. In the book Practical English Usage, the two meanings of the word are illustrated by juxtaposing the sentences:
- What are you doing fucking in my bed?
- What are you fucking doing in my bed?
The liberal usage of the word (and other vulgarisms) by certain artists (such as James Joyce, Henry Miller, and Lenny Bruce) has led to the banning of their works and criminal charges of obscenity.
In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission forbids the use of the word on broadcast television and radio; it is usually replaced by a beep.
In 1900, the Prince of Wales said "Fuck it, I've taken a bullet" when he was shot by an anarchist while standing on a Brussels railway station.
In 1965, Kenneth Tynan was the first man to say "fuck" on television, on the late-night live satire program BBC3, causing a furor.
The films Ulysses and I'll Never Forget What's'isname (both 1967) are contenders for being the first film to use the word.
Etymology
Its root is unclear; its earliest recorded use is in 1503. There is an evident connection to the Germanic word ficken, to strike (slang for "copulate"), and to the Latin futuere, but there is no clear lineage.
There is perhaps even an original Celtic derivation; futuere being related to battuere (to strike, to copulate); which may be related to Irish bot and Manx bwoid (penis). The argument is that battuere and futuere (like the Irish and Manx words) comes from the Celtic *bactuere (to pierce), from the root buc- (a point). An even earlier root may be the Egyptian petcha (to copulate), which has a highly suggestive hieroglyph.
Part of the reason for the difficulty of the etymology is that the word was too taboo for the original Oxford English Dictionary. It, and cunt, were first included in the 1972 edition.
There are many folk etymologies, including the acronyms "Fornication Under Consent of the King" and "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge", supposedly written on the stocks above people who committed adultery.
References and external links
- Jesse Sheidlower, The F Word (1999) ISBN 0375706348. Presents hundreds of uses of fuck and related words.
- Michael Swan, Practical English Usage , OUP, 1995, ISBN 019431197X