Sources of Strange Words

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the origin of the 'F' word, how the word came to be and how it is used today in American culture. The paper discusses that there are various legends and claims regarding the origin of the 'F' word and while some claim that the word was derived from the language of the Vikings, others claim that the word was derived from an acronym. This paper explores that various sources that make claim to possess knowledge of the origin of the 'F' word.

Outline:
Objective
introduction
Urban Legends And Myths Of The 'F' Word
The French Claim To Origin Of The 'F' Word
Random House Historical Dictionary Of American Slang
Indo-European Root 'Peuk'
North-Sea Germanic Areal Form
In Depth-Analysis
Summary & Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Because of this, English archers would taunt the French by raising their middle fingers and exclaiming that they could still 'pluck yew' hence the four-letter word." (Wilton, 2004) According to Wilton, this specific legend was a pun and Wilton states: "It is doubtful that whoever came up with this howler meant for it to be taken seriously. But this joke has gained urban legend status thanks to the internet." Wilton relates that four letter words, such as the 'F' word."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Wilton, David (2004) Word Myths - Oxford University Press, United States, 2004. Online Google Scholar Books available at: http://books.google.com/books?id=cp0r3aa8EM8C&dq=word+origin+fuck
• The Roots of English: A Reader's Handbook of Word Origin" (Times, 1989) In Dictionary of Word Origin (1990) Ayto, John - New York: Arcade Publishing 1990.
• Wajnryb, Ruth (2005) Expletive Deleted: A Good Look at Bad Language - Simon and Schuster. Language Arts & Disciplines/Linguistics. 2005.
• O'Donnell, Brendan (2001) The Anatomy of a Four Letter Word 2001 Mar 21. in Wickerham, Josh: This Postmodern World - The Michigan Daily.
• Wladhorn, Herbert F. (1951) Meeting of the Psychoanalytic Society. The Psychoanalytic Quarterly. 20:661.

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