Etymology of a Curse Word

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The discussion traces the evolution of the word for "to strike" and "to copulate" from Proto-Indo-European roots around 5000 BC through various languages and time periods, highlighting significant phonetic changes as Proto-Germanic tribes diverged. Key transformations include the shift from *pewg- to *fukkona by 2500 BC, leading to Old English *fuccian and Old High German fochon by 500 and 600 AD respectively. The term continued to evolve into Old Norse *fokka and Middle English *fukken by 1200 AD. Additionally, the discussion notes the modern Dutch usage of "fukken," demonstrating the word's lasting impact. The conversation also touches on the linguistic similarities in the word for "two" across different languages, showcasing the interconnectedness of language evolution.
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~5000 BC, Proto-Indo-Europeans:
*pewg- (to strike, assail)

NOTE: Here, Proto-Germanic tribes break away from Proto-Indo-Europeans and innovate p -> f, g -> k, d->t - you can see this in many examples if you compare latin/french and english (ped <-> foot, pater <-> father, pisc <-> fish, perd <-> fart)

~2500 B,C
*fukkona (A: to strike, B: to copulate)

~500 AD, Old English:
*fuccian (to copulate)

~600 AD, Old High German
fochon

~800 AD, Old Norse:
*fokka

~1200 AD, Middle English:
*fukken
 
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In contemporary Dutch it's still "fukken", derived from the English. "Je moet niet met me fukken"/ "don't f*ck with me" 😋
 
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Dwoh!
 
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Hornbein said:
Dwoh!
Twai!
 
In Indonesian it's dua.
 
It's just interesting that the result was so similar.
 

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