Fuck的字源到了今時今日已變得眾說紛紜,而且字義上是否從一開始就已經是具有冒犯性,還是從某個年期開始才是,亦不能查考,但至少於15世纪的英语文獻中已經可以看到這個字的蹤影。雖然在英語世界具有權威地位的《牛津英語詞典》(Oxford English Dictionary)也認為Fuck的字源已難考究,但主張此字是源自於盎格魯-撒克遜。
文獻出處
15世紀時有一首诗“跳蚤和苍蝇(英语:Flen flyys)”,此诗由拉丁语和英语混合写成,讽刺了英国剑桥的加爾默羅會修道士,其诗名取自第一句“Flen, flyys, and freris”,即“跳蚤,苍蝇和修道士”。有fuck一词的一行是“Non sunt in coeli, quia gxddbov xxkxzt pg ifmk.”其中的拉丁文“Non sunt in coeli, quia”意为“他们(指修道士们)不在天堂,因為『gxddbov xxkxzt pg ifmk』”。這段後面的“gxddbov xxkxzt pg ifmk”顯然是隱語,不過只要透過字母重映射的方法即可破译,其規則為向前回推一個字母(需注意當時的字母沒有J、U和W):
gxddbov xxkxzt pg ifmk.
↓
fvccant vvivys of heli.
如此一來全句變为“Non sunt in coeli, quia fvccant vvivys of heli.”意思是「他们不在天堂,因為他们『幹』了伊利的妇女。」句中的「fvccant」即為故意將「fuck」偽裝成拉丁文形式,即「fvcco」的現在式第三人稱複數。
Wayland Young, Eros Denied: Sex in Western Society. Grove Press/Zebra Books, New York 1964.
Carl Jung, Psychology of the Unconscious: A Study of the Transformations and Symbolisms of the Libido. Moffat, Yard and Company, New York 1916. Translated by Beatrice M. Hinkle, M.D., Neurological Dept. of Cornell University Medical School and of the New York Post Graduate Medical School.
Richard Dooling, Blue Streak: Swearing, Free Speech & Sexual Harassment, (1996) ISBN 0-679-44471-8. Chapters on famous swear words, including the f-word, and the laws pertaining to their use.
Fuck – documentary film by Steve Anderson (ThinkFilm 2005)
Fuck(页面存档备份,存于互联网档案馆), academic paper exploring the legal implications of the word, by Christopher M. Fairman, Ohio State University – Michael E. Moritz College of Law March 2006. Ohio State Public Law Working Paper No. 59.