Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site fortune.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!fortune!polard
From: polard@fortune.UUCP (Henry Polard)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: Origin of expletive
Message-ID: <5206@fortune.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 22-Apr-85 15:26:39 EST
Article-I.D.: fortune.5206
Posted: Mon Apr 22 15:26:39 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 23-Apr-85 07:14:16 EST
References: <1260001@acf4.UUCP>
Reply-To: polard@fortune.UUCP (Henry polard)
Organization: Fortune Systems, Redwood City, CA
Lines: 28

In article <1260001@acf4.UUCP> hkr4627@acf4.UUCP (Hedley K. J. Rainnie) writes:
>I was told that 'fuck' was placed on placards that were put before unhappy
>souls in the stocks and that it stood for: for use of carnal knowledge.
>Is this true? 
>
>Hedley.

NONONONO!!! Fuck comes form an Indo-european root related to modern
'beat'.

This is the second time we are starting on this word in less than
a year.  If you are interested in the origins of a word, find 
an etymological dictionary and look it up.  Your local librarian
will be delighted to point you to such a dictionary.  Do not
simply do a brain dump on us.  In any case,
the answers (including this one) you will get from this newsgroup 
may be quite unreliable, so you might as well look it up anyway.

You would perform a valuable service to this newsgroup by posting 
several etymologies of 'fuck', quoting sources, so that the tidal 
wave of false 'fuck' etymologies may be nipped in the bud.

From the metaphorical mixmaster of
-- 
Henry Polard (You bring the flames - I'll bring the marshmallows.)
{ihnp4,cbosgd,amd}!fortune!polard
N.B: The words in this posting do not necessarily express the opinions
of me, my employer, or any AI project.