Etymology can be a tough thing to chase and words and slang can not only simultaneously present with different meanings but homophones and homonyms and other linguistic issues complicate the matter.
So the earliest known usage I am aware of for “faggot” comes from perhaps Middle English but certainly by Early Modern English (around the 1600’s) we see the term being used with multiple spellings.
A “faggot” was a unit of measure- people often say a “small bundle of sticks” but that’s not quite true- or at least relative. In terms of wood a “small faggot” generally would have consisted of mostly thinner wooden sticks of about 3 feet in length. A “faggot” was also a unit of measure for iron bars but this usuals would be less common to the lay person as iron would not have been a material commonly handled in daily life of the general population in bar form or especially in quantities of bars requiring that unit of measure. So there is good reason but not clear proof to believe the…
.. word “faggot” would have entered common English vernacular through the wooden stick bundle unit of measure. It is believed that over time the unit of measure became a default word for a small bundle of stocks like one might use to start a fire, or even a tool similar to a hand broom. I find it unlikely that the word or derivatives came to be used to refer to homosexuals or cigarettes through this route, but some theorize that the connection is through burnings like those of witches, and the use of wood in those events. I have never found much evidence I felt strongly supported this theory but again- more than one road can lead to similar places with words so there isn’t always “one” source of a word changing meanings or for slang.
What is factual, well documented in history through correspondence and documents and stories- is that “fagging” was a practice in British schools public and private. The general practice fell in to decline through the early 20th century but it was still carried out in some places into the 1980’s and may still exist but is widely abolished at this point. “Fagging” was a system by which students (generally males at boarding schools) would serve. Younger students would perform tasks for older students and older students would protect their “fags.” The head older student was the “gag master” generally and was responsible for the well being of the fags.
Early in the practice there were few limits to what a fag was expected to do if asked and no set hours of service. They were essentially “on call” to serve as asked how and when or where.
Over time the practice tended to shift a bit and fags duties became more customarily things like light chores such as cleaning, laundry, perhaps cooking, and often brining tea to their seniors. Customs differed and some schools expected that fags be given some small payment for completing tasks, this was often called a “fag tip.”
Of course there are all sorts of records supporting or suggesting that sexual abuse or sexual favors could be part of the fag system, or at least that the fag system served as a power imbalance that allowed such things to take place and be hidden to a degree. historical records show that for many parts of history it wasn’t so uncommon that boys sent to all boys boarding schools to engage in sexual exploration with each other- many similar situations as observed world wide into the modern era with sports teams and fraternities and other young male exclusive groups being known to participate in “games” like “mushy cookie,” things like “circle jerks”,
Mutual masturbation or self masturbation with the group, often onto a person or totem object, and forms of explicit sexual exploration ot eroticism between boys/men.
In light of those facts one very plausible source for the term being used as such is that either or both the cultural perception of the time was that the tasks and subservience of a fag were “feminine” and the connection of fags to sexual acts for their superiors may be factors on how the term become used as a slur for homosexuals. General insults towards men but especially insults towards homosexuals tend to historically be heavily made up of allusions to femininity or comparisons to females. Even in modern society the concept of a homosexual male is strongly linked to a concept of femininity and somewhat seen to be the opposite of a masculine “manly man,” though those perceptions change with time and continue to change, the historical context suggests that is a strong candidate for the slang usage.
In summary- it is most likely in my mind based on the evidence that cigarettes are called “fags” because fag was a unit of measure for sticks that became a word for small sticks used to light fires; and the use of the term “fag” for referring to homosexuals or as an insult to masculinity came through the use of the term “fag” in the “fagging” system of servitude in British schools and those schools of occupied lands or which mimicked British schools. Seeing that Britain was a major influence on the world and mass colonizer, as well as several of its “children” that became independent- the spread of the word would likely have followed the trail of British influence.
How come cigarettes are called “fags” if they are referencing a bundle called a “faggot?” Well- most likely the word was shortened. This happens all the time and was popular in the history of general early English as well as British English specifically. I’ve talked before about the origins of the terms “soccer” and “football” and why the sport is called different names etc- and one thing that we can draw there is that “rugby” is a shortened form of a longer word and was technically “rugby football” before the “football” part was dropped. Participles and such become complex- but just like “soccer” was a type of football and not simply “soccer,” the game was introduced to the Americas by the British as “soccer” because that was the British name for it- a slang term- at that time “rugby” was called “rugger” because shortening words and modifying words to end in an “er” was popular. So it is very likely that “fag” for cigarettes is a shortening of “faggot” in reference to the sticks.
But hold on you say- why then is the slur sometimes used as “fag” and sometimes “faggot”? If the slur comes from the fagging system and participants were called “fags,” why would it be LENGTHENED to faggot? Well…. I can’t say 100% but there are some possible reasons. One reason is that it is possible that either as a form of word play or a case of a person misunderstanding the etymology of the word in its use to refer to servants assuming that “faggot” was the root of the word. Another I don’t subscribe to but is a theory I’ve heard is that because “fags” did light chores they may have used small hand bottoms which may have been called “faggots.” It isn’t terribly supported that “faggot” was the tool and “fags” as servants were named after the tool but I can’t say it’s completely impossible- it just seems highly improbable. If this was true at all it’s likely someone connected the dots and thought it might be funny or perhaps insulting to call the person the name of the tool.
Another distinct possibility we can’t rule out is that much evidence indicates that the term “fag” had come in to use for a cigarette before the fagging system was adopted. In that case the naming conventions could have sorted themselves out over time to mitigate confusion. Of course I find it more likely that the two words evolved mostly independently of each other and it is just a sort of “coincidence” of sorts or an oddity.
It’s also possible that “faggot” came to use as a slur because of the tonality. Simply put the sounds and syllables etc. of words really matter in how we come off or feel when we say them. The word “fuck” carries a sort of guttural and unpleasant “ck” sound at the end and it’s cultural context is heavier than a word like “fudge.” It is hard to picture a very angry and very tough man yelling “what the fudge is your problem?” When confronting another in a potential fight.
It turns out that even if a person isn’t well learned in language and doesn’t have a conscious knowledge of poetry or verse or a formalized grasp of the subtleties of communication- we tend to be pretty intuitive about the way words sound. We recognize when they sound odd to us such as mispronunciation or an accent or impediment. We sort of instinctively know within our vocabulary what synonyms or suitable words sound “grosser” or “harder”
Etc. We generally have some idea within the context of our culture what words or sounds are perceived certain ways. People laugh differently but most people can tell when a stranger is laughing, and babies laugh and giggle on their own. The word “huh” is almost universal across languages. Grunts and other sounds are generally understood similarly as are moans and “sexual” sounds.
So the word “faggot” as a slur has a much harder, more angry or vicious sound. In general shortening words or names softens them, even if we don’t consciously know this we somewhat subconsciously do. Adult Micheals may go by “Mike” to sound less stuffy or make their name shorter but it’s common, especially in fields like business or law enforcement that adult Mikes prefer not to be called “Mikey,” this is a shorter version of “Micheal” but the “y” on the end is often a form of diminutive in English. Many adults, especially males, with names with a “y” variant tend to stop using that version except perhaps in close company as they age because even if they aren’t aware of the reasons, they tend to realize that it “makes them sound like a kid” or “isn’t serious enough” etc.
When we look at a word like “fuck” we can see many variants- but “you motherfucker” generally hits harder than “you fuck” as an insult. Without the “mother” calling someone a “fucker” compared to a “fuck” also changes the perception. Some of this can be cultural of course- and one can call someone a “fuck” or “fucker” playfully or as a show of affection such as “this cheeky fucker here…” or “oh, this little fuck? He’s always this way…” etc. so tone, culture, and context all come in to play as well.
There are numerous slurs I won’t name where a shortened version is or was considered slightly more acceptable or playful than the full version. This can be related to the previous issues or other things. Phonetics of words matters and shortening a word can make the ending sound harder or soften and change the perceived severity as can lengthening it depending on the sound each version ends with. The shorter or longer or modified version of a word may have cultural context specific to…
.. that usage as well. Sometimes wether soft or hard is considered more or less appropriate depends on the context too. In a clinical or academic context it is generally considered imperiled to refer to a vagina as a “vag.” In a social setting people may be more comfortable with the use of the word “vag” over “vagina” in contrast. Of course this is a bodily organ that shouldn’t have the stigma on its use that it does, but just speaking in historical context wether it’s use is seen as “lewd” or not, like many words, can be quite contextual. With a slur like “Faggot” is often used- there isn’t really an “appropriate” context. That said- there can be a “playful context.” The word may be used between homosexuals in a testing fashion etc or between immature heterosexuals as a “friendly insult” as well or a turn of phrase. In that context the longer “faggot” is generally not used because ot just sounds harsher. Playful banter will usually shorten the slur the same as the full slur “n*g^^r”….
that was crazy descriptive. All you had to say was "yes, it has multiple meanings, including a stack of sticks" lol... I never knew about the boarding school thing, so that was interesting. As for cigs being called fags, a stick on fire kinda fits perfectly so why not?
Usually loses the “er” and substitutes an “a” at the end to soften it when used among members of the group the slur is targeted to to be used in a playful and not intentionally hurtful fashion. We can see this sort of pattern frequently. Of course because the words are so close and are at their cores slur words- the tone and context and relationships of the speakers help define the perceived tone, so the shorter “fag” still gets used as a slur, usually when the statement is dismissive or diminishing. When the statement is angry or overtly hostile it usually gets the entire slur, but either word said for example by a stranger to another starts off seeming to be non playful, and when time of voice and overall expression etc. are factored in, there is little chance that the intended use would not be clear.
Of course we can ask about why “tranny” is considered a slur generally and not “transsexual”- does this disprove the “long short” theory? Well- no. Firstly, every word and it’s context and history and cultural baggage are different. These things aren’t so much rules as guides- poetry and song have certain similarities across epochs but also change quite a bit with culture and language and generational experiences.
In this case though- observe the “Y”- a diminutive. Words ending with “Y” as a modified or especially shortened form tend to be a way of infantilizing or “cutening” etc. the word- in some contexts and uses this is ok and is the intent- “Suzy” is a cute little fun girl with pig tails or a high school crush and “Suzanne” works in accounting and is very nice but can mess up your day. “William the Brave” is a warrior or ruler and “Billy the Brave” is a rejected Nickelodeon kids cartoon character or a Pirate who really likes alliteration.
So there is a lot that goes into this stuff and slang and language are forms of cultural negotiation. It doesn’t matter what the dictionary says if everyone who speaks agrees a word should sound a certain way, that’s how it will be said and the dictionary and possibly the spelling will be changed to effect the way the language is spoken.
There are multiple paths and conflicting possibilities and simultaneous spontaneous emergence of words and slang as well as local and sub group dialects and lexicons which make it very hard to really pin any word and it’s twisted path down with absolute certainty. But this has been sort of a walk through the known origins and usages and surrounding context to the words “fag” and “faggot” in the modern English sense. It seems counter intuitive but we must be careful because often times when we trave word roots we can believe by sound or spelling that 2 words share a root or are branches of the same tree but aren’t. All very interesting stuff.
Appreciate it funk, same here- DV are going to happen but on principle the silent stalker DV is more a reflection on the person doing it I suppose lol.
UK Faggots are disgusting and I have no idea why people like them.
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Plus, we don't actually have that many dishes that are our own, unless they want pies, hotpots, shepherd's pie, and stew, which are all fucking delicious.
So the earliest known usage I am aware of for “faggot” comes from perhaps Middle English but certainly by Early Modern English (around the 1600’s) we see the term being used with multiple spellings.
A “faggot” was a unit of measure- people often say a “small bundle of sticks” but that’s not quite true- or at least relative. In terms of wood a “small faggot” generally would have consisted of mostly thinner wooden sticks of about 3 feet in length. A “faggot” was also a unit of measure for iron bars but this usuals would be less common to the lay person as iron would not have been a material commonly handled in daily life of the general population in bar form or especially in quantities of bars requiring that unit of measure. So there is good reason but not clear proof to believe the…
Early in the practice there were few limits to what a fag was expected to do if asked and no set hours of service. They were essentially “on call” to serve as asked how and when or where.
Of course there are all sorts of records supporting or suggesting that sexual abuse or sexual favors could be part of the fag system, or at least that the fag system served as a power imbalance that allowed such things to take place and be hidden to a degree. historical records show that for many parts of history it wasn’t so uncommon that boys sent to all boys boarding schools to engage in sexual exploration with each other- many similar situations as observed world wide into the modern era with sports teams and fraternities and other young male exclusive groups being known to participate in “games” like “mushy cookie,” things like “circle jerks”,
In light of those facts one very plausible source for the term being used as such is that either or both the cultural perception of the time was that the tasks and subservience of a fag were “feminine” and the connection of fags to sexual acts for their superiors may be factors on how the term become used as a slur for homosexuals. General insults towards men but especially insults towards homosexuals tend to historically be heavily made up of allusions to femininity or comparisons to females. Even in modern society the concept of a homosexual male is strongly linked to a concept of femininity and somewhat seen to be the opposite of a masculine “manly man,” though those perceptions change with time and continue to change, the historical context suggests that is a strong candidate for the slang usage.
It’s also possible that “faggot” came to use as a slur because of the tonality. Simply put the sounds and syllables etc. of words really matter in how we come off or feel when we say them. The word “fuck” carries a sort of guttural and unpleasant “ck” sound at the end and it’s cultural context is heavier than a word like “fudge.” It is hard to picture a very angry and very tough man yelling “what the fudge is your problem?” When confronting another in a potential fight.
Etc. We generally have some idea within the context of our culture what words or sounds are perceived certain ways. People laugh differently but most people can tell when a stranger is laughing, and babies laugh and giggle on their own. The word “huh” is almost universal across languages. Grunts and other sounds are generally understood similarly as are moans and “sexual” sounds.
There are numerous slurs I won’t name where a shortened version is or was considered slightly more acceptable or playful than the full version. This can be related to the previous issues or other things. Phonetics of words matters and shortening a word can make the ending sound harder or soften and change the perceived severity as can lengthening it depending on the sound each version ends with. The shorter or longer or modified version of a word may have cultural context specific to…
In this case though- observe the “Y”- a diminutive. Words ending with “Y” as a modified or especially shortened form tend to be a way of infantilizing or “cutening” etc. the word- in some contexts and uses this is ok and is the intent- “Suzy” is a cute little fun girl with pig tails or a high school crush and “Suzanne” works in accounting and is very nice but can mess up your day. “William the Brave” is a warrior or ruler and “Billy the Brave” is a rejected Nickelodeon kids cartoon character or a Pirate who really likes alliteration.
There are multiple paths and conflicting possibilities and simultaneous spontaneous emergence of words and slang as well as local and sub group dialects and lexicons which make it very hard to really pin any word and it’s twisted path down with absolute certainty. But this has been sort of a walk through the known origins and usages and surrounding context to the words “fag” and “faggot” in the modern English sense. It seems counter intuitive but we must be careful because often times when we trave word roots we can believe by sound or spelling that 2 words share a root or are branches of the same tree but aren’t. All very interesting stuff.
Unmask yourself, you coward!
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Plus, we don't actually have that many dishes that are our own, unless they want pies, hotpots, shepherd's pie, and stew, which are all fucking delicious.