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From: brian@vaxwaller.UUCP (zippy the pinhead)
Newsgroups: net.jokes.d,talk.bizarre
Subject: Re: newspeak, (...etc...)
Message-ID: <573@vaxwaller.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 7-Oct-86 20:20:25 EDT
Article-I.D.: vaxwalle.573
Posted: Tue Oct  7 20:20:25 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 10-Oct-86 01:14:56 EDT
References: <425@vaxb.calgary.UUCP> <222@csustan.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: Varian, Walnut Creek, CA
Lines: 49
Xref: watmath net.jokes.d:1880 talk.bizarre:424

In article <222@csustan.UUCP> (Scott Hazen Mueller) writes:

> In article <> hermann@calgary.UUCP (Michael Hermann) writes:
> 
> >
> >	P.S. I've heard that fuck had its origins in an abbreviation
> >		used in the old British legal system. It stood for
> >		something like "Fornication U... C... K...". I've
> >		not however been able to find a reference to this
> >		anywhere; if someone knows of some documentation on
> >		this, please let me in on it. Thanx.
> 
> I have (at home, of course) a page from one of my high-school notebooks
> detailing the derivation of "fuck".  We actually spent a considerable portion
> of one day's linguistics class studying etymologies... In short, and from
> memory (will he drop it?), "fuck" is derived from the "root" Indo-European
> "language".  The original derivations involve two root forms, "poik-os" and
> "peig-yos" (I think, no flames please).  The meanings relate to plowing (as
> in agriculture) and evil.  One of the related (more-or-less) modern-day words
> is "fey".  Medieval forms in various Germanic tongues include "fokken" and
> "fucken" (I have no idea what the word is in modern German - I could never
> get my German teacher to admit what it was...)
> 
>                              \scott
> 
> If I'm wrong, feel free to correct me.  Flame me, and you'll learn the meaning
> of nuclear-powered urban renewal...
> 
> -- 

*** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR FUCK ***

I don't have any documentation either, but the derivation I was taught
had to do with the institution by English royalty of the "Ladies in waiting".

To get around the biblical condemnation of fornication in general, the
British Throne in conjunction with the Pope rationalized that since the King
was divinely selected, his judgements were divinely inspired.  This would make
any act of fornication acceptable when deemed so by the King, thus the phrase;
Fornication Under Command of the King.

This act allowed free fornication for members of Royalty (and for commoners if
the King so deemed it ... but he rarely did) who were unwed.



Off to verify these ramblings with fact,

Zippy the fornicating Pinhead