fuck
/fʌk/
verb
Origin
West Germanic
*fuk- — to strike, rub, or penetrate
Overview
Meaning Now
- To engage in sexual intercourse.
- To act in a foolish, incompetent, or annoying manner (often used with 'up').
- To ruin, spoil, or cause to fail (vulgar).
Language path
West Germanic → Old English/Middle English → English
Earliest form
fukkit
Earliest period
late 15th century
Journey
The word's origin is frequently and incorrectly attributed to acronyms such as 'Fornication Under Consent of the King'. Historical linguistic evidence confirms these are modern inventions or folk etymologies, as the word predates the existence of such bureaucratic phrases.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*fuk-
“to strike or rub”
Reconstructed root.
- Middle Low German
fokken
“to copulate”
Early attested sense.
- Middle English
fukken
“to copulate”
First appearance in English texts.
- Modern English
fuck
“to have sexual intercourse / general intensifier”
Taboo status fully established by the 18th century.
Connections
Word parts
fuck
root
copulate/strike
Related across languages
Middle Low German
fokken
to copulate
Dutch
fokken
to breed or raise (animals)
Explore next
Related to fuck
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.