ISO: Sexual terminology for 16th century France

[thete1]

Setting: Early-mid 16th century France, but then, it's BBC Musketeers, so laser-accuracy is not expected or desperately needed

Comments

[sushidog]

17th century, surely?

[orange_fell]

I didn't notice that! I'll change the tags if OP responds.

[thete1]

Yes, please, it should be! I'm a flu-ridden *wreck* right now, and I'm afraid it's coming out in all sorts of ways. 17th century all the way.

*facepalm*

[orange_fell]

Done! Please also change the wording of the post (when you feel up to it, of course. The flu is the worst!)

[orange_fell]

Shakespeare used two English words to sound like dirty words in French in the play Henry V (written in the late 1590s). In the scene, the French princess Katharine asks her maid Alice to teach her some English, mostly parts of the body. The last two vocabulary words she learns are "foot" and "gown" which Alice pronounces as "coun." Because of the similarity in their heavy French accents to "foutre" (to fuck) and "con" (cunt), Katharine is shocked and says something along the lines of "English is a very vulgar language, I don't think ladies should learn it!"

[thete1]

Yes! That is *beautiful*. I'd forgotten learning that in my Shakespeare class. Thank you very much!

[camille_miko]

"Foutre" could be a verb in french (to fuck), but it's also a noun for "sperme".
I know the noun was created before the verb, but I don't know when.

[flo_nelja]

cunt was "con" and dick was "vit".
"bête à deux dos" (beast with two backs) was used, I think, to talk about sex in general.
"sodomie" (sodomy) was every illicit sex act, and for what we call sodomy now, there was "délit de l’épine du dos" (Back thorn offense)

[thete1]

*makes note*!

Thank you very kindly!

[majolika]

don't forget bugger/buggery - french "bougre" is still very much alive in the 17th c.