Odd Etymology

I am a Communication major and fascinated by words, particularly their etmology. In reading my human sexuality textbook, I came across a few words that really stuck out:

- pudendum
- testicles
- uterus

First, "pudendum" is the name for the external sexual structures of the female, aka the visible pubic area with hair and the vaginal opening.

No biggie, right?

Wrong. The word in Latin means "that which makes one ashamed" (p 63). My book goes on to say that "this cultural heritage may lead women to develop negative attitudes toward their genitals" (p 63). You think!?!

On the other end of the spectrum, "testicles" were not a source of shame for men but instead a validation of manhood and honesty. In Latin, "testis" means "a witness" (p 105)and it is the root word for "testicles" as well as "testify."

Yes, "testify," as in while in court; in ancient Rome they did not swear on the Bible but instead "men in Roman courts often swore to tell the truth with their hands on their genitals" (p 105). This was also a handy way to prevent women from gaining power in the judicial system since they had no testicles, they were unable to testify.

Lastly, the Greek word for "uterus" is the word from which we derive "hysteria" (p 256). "Hysteria" was defined by the medical community (primarily men in the late 1800s)to be a women's condition with symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, nervousness, bloating, fainting, sexual fantasies, and vaginal lubrication - basically it was PMS.

SIDE NOTE: this disorder was treated with vibrators. No. Lie. Over a century ago. My book has an image of an ad from Lindstrom-Smith Co. that claims "This machine rubs much better and much faster than the hands" (p 256). Although, it was not seen as a sexual tool but a medical one and doctors did not seem to enjoy administering the treatment - basically bringing a woman to orgasm to relieve her hysterical tension.

Regardless, these problems and general hysteria are tied back to the uterus. How charming. No wonder women get a bad rap when they are on "that time of the month;" it all evolved out of a century old bad association with our body parts and body processes.

PS - on the note of etymology, I got hung up in that last sentence on "bad rap" vs. "bad wrap" and went to look it up. I found this fantastic article that explains in great detail which is correct and why if you're interested...