[Middle English, attested in pseudo-Latin fuccant, (they) fuck, deciphered from gxddbov.] Word History: The obscenity fuck is a very old word and has been considered shocking from the first, though it is seen in print much more often now than in the past. Its first known occurrence, in code because of its unacceptability, is in a poem composed in a mixture of Latin and English sometime before 1500. The poem, which satirizes the Carmelite friars of Cambridge, England, takes its title, "Flen flyys," from the first words of its opening line, "Flen, flyys, and freris," that is, "fleas, flies, and friars." The line that contains fuck reads "Non sunt in coeli, quia gxddbov xxkxzt pg ifmk." The Latin words "Non sunt in coeli, quia," mean "they [the friars] are not in heaven, since." The code "gxddbov xxkxzt pg ifmk" is easily broken by simply substituting the preceding letter in the alphabet, keeping in mind differences in the alphabet and in spelling between then and now: i was then used for both i and j; v was used for both u and v; and vv was used for w. This yields "fvccant [a fake Latin form] vvivys of heli." The whole thus reads in translation: "They are not in heaven because they fuck wives of Ely [a town near Cambridge]." ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mark Smyth" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "CF-Community" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, October 29, 2001 12:16 PM Subject: RE: Profanity (Was Re: beauuuuutiful Friday)
> well, THAT would've made medieval history classes more interesting! > > I don't think it's true though > > -----Original Message----- > From: Stephenie Hamilton [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: 29 October 2001 17:25 > To: CF-Community > Subject: Re: Profanity (Was Re: beauuuuutiful Friday) > > > i heard it meant "Fornication Under [the] Crown [of the] King.....but i > could be wrong...it has happened once or twice [or more] before > ~~ > steph > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "CF-Community" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Monday, October 29, 2001 12:09 PM > Subject: RE: Profanity (Was Re: beauuuuutiful Friday) > > > > Just a little trivia. The "F" word has an interesting history. When women > > were put in the stockades for adultry the stockades were labeled "For > > Unlawful Carnal Knowledge", which was later abreviated to the "F" word and > > introduced to the language. > > > > FWIW, > > > > Kristine C. Hege [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Database & Applications Specialist Phone: (802) 463-2111 > > SoVerNet Inc. Ext: 105 > > 5 Rockingham St. > > Bellows Falls, VT 05101 > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > _ .----. . - . > > PROGRAM (PRO'-gram') [n] A magic spell cast over a |C>_.|.:' .:. . > > computer allowing it to turn one's input into error __|____|__ `:. O_/ > > messages. [vi] To engage in a pastime similar to | ______--| \/M > > banging one's head against a wall, but, with fewer `-/.::::.\-' _/ \_ > > opportunities for reward. `--------' > > > > On Mon, 29 Oct 2001, Mark Smyth wrote: > > > > > Dude..profanity IS part of the English language. > > > > > > i always thought the F word (you all know what i mean!!) was french > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Braver, Ben [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > > Sent: 29 October 2001 17:00 > > > To: CF-Community > > > Subject: RE: Profanity (Was Re: beauuuuutiful Friday) > > > > > > > > > Gel- > > > Just because something is part of a language does NOT mean it is > appropriate > > > to use it in all contexts or to all audiences. > > > -Ben > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Angel Stewart [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > > Sent: Monday, October 29, 2001 8:51 AM > > > To: CF-Community > > > Subject: Profanity (Was Re: beauuuuutiful Friday) > > > > > > > > > Dude..profanity IS part of the English language. > > > > > > Check your nearest dictionary.It is 'real' english. > > > As real as all the other colloquialisms that have inundated our > > > standard, everyday conversation. > > > > > > Cool the way the 'English Language' as spoken by most changes eh? > > > > > > -Gel > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Larry Lyons [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > > > > > Profanity as a retort only stoops to the same level of ignorance. You > > > can use real english without having to swear and have twice the impact. > > > > > > larry > > > > > > > > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Get the mailserver that powers this list at http://www.coolfusion.com Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/cf-community@houseoffusion.com/ Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/index.cfm?sidebar=lists
