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Petruchio -> RE: Word Fight (2/21/2006 11:37:40 PM)
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The OED sticks in my mind as it mentioned the earliest written use of the word which was the name of a street, something like 'Grope Cunt Street' from an era before the word was came to be seen as obscene. Chaucer's Wyf of Bathe also used the word (although with her middle English spelling which I don't recall but was very different).
This first came to my attention when Professor Kemper challenged us to figure out the word as I did earlier. A quick glance at computer dictionaries suggests origins of German and old Norse (as you suggested), Dutch, Danish, old French, Latin, Greek, and/or Egyptian. BTW, the word descends from Sanskrit (as most of our words descend), not taken 'directly', if anything implied that.
While a surprising portion of our vocabulary comes to us *through* German sources, many of those sources were considerably more ancient. Just as those in the British Isles came late to 'civilization', Germans were also considered savages until well after the birth of Christ. Fierce savages, enough to give the Roman legions fits, but still savages.
However, the area surrounding the Mediterranean had by then been 'cultured' and 'civilized' for ages, including that part we now call northern India. Their languages and culture were heavily influential on Western civilization long before Romulus and Remus nursed amongst the Seven Hills.
Check one of my favorite web sites:
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=cunt
most of which I'll show here:
quote:
"female intercrural foramen," or, as some 18c. writers refer to it, "the monosyllable," M.E. cunte "female genitalia," akin to O.N. kunta, from P.Gmc. *kunton, of uncertain origin. Some suggest a link with L. cuneus "wedge," others to PIE base *geu- "hollow place," still others to PIE *gwen-, root of queen and Gk. gyne "woman." The form is similar to L. cunnus "female pudenda," which is likewise of disputed origin, perhaps lit. "gash, slit," from PIE *sker- "to cut," or lit. "sheath," from PIE *kut-no-, from base *(s)keu- "to conceal, hide." First known reference in Eng. is said to be c.1230 Oxford or London street name Gropecuntlane, presumably a haunt of prostitutes. Avoided in public speech since 15c.; considered obscene since 17c. Du. cognate de kont means "a bottom, an arse." Du. also has attractive poetic slang ways of expressing this part, such as liefdesgrot, lit. "cave of love," and vleesroos "rose of flesh." Alternate form cunny is attested from c.1720 but is certainly much earlier and forced a change in the pronunciation of coney (q.v.), but it was good for a pun while coney was still the common word for "rabbit"
I don't recall what the P of PIE is (proto?), but IE is IndoEurasian or IndoEuropean, the key being the Indo- part. That is, part of India which would include the dozen or so extant (at that time) languages.
Note that etymonline suggests that cunny (genitals) was not the same word as coney (rabbit), although apparently the pronunciation was similar.
In any case, there certainly are sufficient difference of opinions!
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