Except that, etymologically speaking, the term pussy as it relates to coward likely has nothing to do with the vulgar slang term. Its usage as a synonym for female genitalia did not have its first recorded usage until the 1870s, while the use as it relates to weakness and cowardice is recorded as early as the 15th century. Theories of the origin of the coward meaning vary: from a shortened version of pussy-cat/scaredy cat to a modernized version of the old English pursy meaning insufficiently masculine. Some believe it is a slang diminutive of pusillanimous, or lacking courage. One additional theory is that it was meant to describe a domesticated man because he possessed the traits of a common house cat. It also may have its roots in latin, where pusus means a small, innocent boy (who is therefore not yet a man). And in fact, the term as it relates to women originated as a compliment in the 17th century, to describe a woman who was sweet and endearing. How it evolved into to its current vulgar usage is very much up for debate; perhaps those two terms are equally as disparate in origin. Th point here is that the connection between these two terms is probably much more recent than wed think-- perhaps as recent as the past 50 years-- and did not originate as any kind of insult to compare a man to a woman. Should we stop using it because it HAS become a term associated with perceived weaknesses of a woman, regardless of its true origin? I guess thats open for debate.
Posted on: Sun, 02 Nov 2014 13:33:56 +0000
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