Etymology of the Word "Prostitute"
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Etymology of the Word "Prostitute"
The word "prostitute", like many other individual identities, is explicit gendered. While the word has a simple meaning, the contexts in which writers use it have evolved and reflected more interesting gendered views.
The word originates from classical Latin prōstitūtus as noun of past participle of prōstituere. It has the an obvious meaning of a woman engaing in sexual activity for a living and was first used in 1607. (Beaumont, 1607) Interestingly, it was not an explicitly negative word as it was not considered an immoral occupation but a parallel to a wife, like what S. Moore wrote, "Our bourgeois, not content with having the wives and daughters of their proletarians at their disposal, not to speak of common prostitutes, take the greatest pleasure in seducing each other's wives." The word was first used as a catamite in 1654. (Codrington, 1654) A "male" is added in front of it to refer to a man of the job with the same nature, but generally in homosexual activities, although has sometimes appeared in heterosexual ones since 1761. (Hanway, 1761) However, all three usages imply a male dominance in a contract over either men or women. The other two uses of "prostitute" is relevant to the characteristics of the word as an occupation. Darcie wrote in 1624 "Your Highnes most Humble and deuoted prostitute" to refer to a person entirely or abjectly devoted to another. It also means a person who undertakes any demeaning or dishonourable act for personal gain and is commonly used to address another job that is corrupted. (Gibbon 1980)
Thus, the meaning and context of "prostitute" has not changed drastically since the oppressive nature of the word remains.
Reference
Beaumont, F. (1607) Woman Hater "My loue and dutie will not suffer mee To see you fauour such a prostitute." iii. ii. sig. E2,
Codrington R. (1654) Hist. "Her Brother Agathocles, (a prostitute [L. scorto] of an aspiring comeliness)." xxx. 380
Darcie A. (1824) Originall...
The word "prostitute", like many other individual identities, is explicit gendered. While the word has a simple meaning, the contexts in which writers use it have evolved and reflected more interesting gendered views.
The word originates from classical Latin prōstitūtus as noun of past participle of prōstituere. It has the an obvious meaning of a woman engaing in sexual activity for a living and was first used in 1607. (Beaumont, 1607) Interestingly, it was not an explicitly negative word as it was not considered an immoral occupation but a parallel to a wife, like what S. Moore wrote, "Our bourgeois, not content with having the wives and daughters of their proletarians at their disposal, not to speak of common prostitutes, take the greatest pleasure in seducing each other's wives." The word was first used as a catamite in 1654. (Codrington, 1654) A "male" is added in front of it to refer to a man of the job with the same nature, but generally in homosexual activities, although has sometimes appeared in heterosexual ones since 1761. (Hanway, 1761) However, all three usages imply a male dominance in a contract over either men or women. The other two uses of "prostitute" is relevant to the characteristics of the word as an occupation. Darcie wrote in 1624 "Your Highnes most Humble and deuoted prostitute" to refer to a person entirely or abjectly devoted to another. It also means a person who undertakes any demeaning or dishonourable act for personal gain and is commonly used to address another job that is corrupted. (Gibbon 1980)
Thus, the meaning and context of "prostitute" has not changed drastically since the oppressive nature of the word remains.
Reference
Beaumont, F. (1607) Woman Hater "My loue and dutie will not suffer mee To see you fauour such a prostitute." iii. ii. sig. E2,
Codrington R. (1654) Hist. "Her Brother Agathocles, (a prostitute [L. scorto] of an aspiring comeliness)." xxx. 380
Darcie A. (1824) Originall...