Re: USAGE: Dutch v or f (was: Grimm's Law)

--- Peter Collier <petercollier@...>
wrote:
> | Jan van Steenbergen wrote:
> |
> | > We have the same word in Dutch as well: "fok", a
> noun this time,
> | > meaning - probably - the same sort of sail (I'm
> not much of a
> | > sailorman, but it must definitely be something
> like that).
> | > I'm also quite sure that the verb "fokken" has
> everything to do with
> | > the famous English f-word; after all, they look
> the same, and besides,
> | > they mean more or less the same, or rather: one
> is the direct result of
> | > the other.
> | > Whether or not the words "fok" and "fokken" are
> etymological kins,
> | > that's just a matter of imagination. I have no
> opinion.
> |
> | Doesn't say anything about etymology though. I'd
> forgotten about
> | _fokka_. _Focka_ can mean 'fire, sack, dismiss' as
> well.
>
>
> Presumably, the German verb "ficken" shares a common
origin?

I have heard theories that the English word was indeed
a loan from German "ficken" and/or French "foutre",
both of which have similar meanings to "fuck" and bear
some orthographic representation.


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