This article is all about the Cunt.

Now, you may not like the word cunt, but let’s take a brief look at its history, its etymology.

According to Merriam-Webster:

“Main Entry: cunt
Pronunciation: ‘k&nt
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English cunte; akin to Middle Low German kunte female pudenda”

In short cunt was always just about the cunt.

But what’s a pudenda?

Again, thanks to M-W we discover that:

“Main Entry: pu·den·dum
Pronunciation: pyu-‘den-d&m
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural pu·den·da /-d&/
Etymology: New Latin, singular of Latin pudenda, from neuter plural of pudendus, gerundive of pudEre to be ashamed
: the external genital organs of a human being and especially of a woman — usually used in plural”

Must we all feel shame because some folks in the history of humanity couldn’t understand their own biologies?

Speaking of biologies, let’s not forget what happens about once a month to those glorious cunts. That’s right, menstruation:

“Main Entry: men·stru·ate
Pronunciation: ‘men(t)-strü-“wAt, ‘men-“strAt
Function: intransitive verb
Inflected Form(s): -at·ed; -at·ing
Etymology: Late Latin menstruatus, past participle of menstruari, from Latin menstrua menses, from neuter plural of menstruus monthly, from mensis”

So horrible that it can only be referred to according to its periodicity (ditto period).

Vagina by contrast comes from the Latin for sheath. Thereby those strong, burly roman men have a place to keep their swords. Still, you’re not likely to find many people today throwing that word around as handily as they might cock or balls or ass or even rectum.

It may be curious to note that a google search for these two terms (vaginal and rectal) reveal a much different arrangement: 1.67 million results for rectal and 3.00 million for vaginal. This suggests that the Internet, with its unfiltered honesty, speaks what’s on our minds when our tongues would be silenced.

Still, I am baffled by the horror with which a slip of the tongue over a cunt would produce in mixed company. Surely we should not be horrified by the cunts in our midsts? Possibly, arguably, one of the worst things you could call a person today would be a fucking cunt (especially when said of a woman). But, how can this be bad? A cunt that fucks? Why, that’s the kind I like. Truth be told a non-fucking cunt would much more horrible to me, sort of like a lost opportunity or a murmuring regret.

Where can we go from here?

How about some nice pussy? The etymology on this little critter is a bit slippery. I did find one site that offers some decently logical solutions:

“Pussy as a slang term for the female pudenda is thought to derive ultimately from Low German puse ‘vulva’ or Old Norse puss ‘pocket, pouch’. It didn’t arise in English with a sexual meaning until the 19th century, but prior to that it had been used to refer to women in general (16th century). It has since also come to mean ‘effeminate, feeble, or homosexual men or boys’ (20th century).”

(Incidentally, this page also offers some tidbits about the uses of cunt in relation to prostitution early on in old England.)

Well, if it’s really a pocket or purse, that’s a nice place to keep the family jewels. But what’s a vulva? Back to M-W:

“Main Entry: vul·va
Pronunciation: ‘v&l-v&
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural vul·vae /-“vE, -“vI/
Etymology: New Latin, from Latin volva, vulva womb, female genitals; akin to Sanskrit ulva womb and perhaps to Latin volvere to roll — more at VOLUBLE”

And:

“Main Entry: vol·u·ble
Pronunciation: ‘väl-y&-b&l
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin volubilis, from volvere to roll; akin to Old English wealwian to roll, Greek eilyein to roll, wrap”

Let’s roll up on the couch tonight, shall we darling?

Of course, labia are simply lips. Majora, minora… big, small. And the clitoris?

Not too much on that history I’m afraid. The Greeks called a clit a klit (actually kleitoris) and the best guess my dictionaries have on that is that it came from kleiein (to shut). No mention of this last at M-W. Perhaps this is because it’s shut up inside its little hood, like little red. Sadly, a google search for clitoris returns only .76 million. Clearly this is an area of neglect in the modern world. If you feel that your clit has been neglected, perhaps we should talk.

As always, looking for ways to dismember societies neuroses and dethrone the hypocrites. Keep these words dear and let’s drain their power away from those others who would use them to perpetuate their own fears and prejudices.

And remember, a rose by any other name would whither and would die.