General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: On the evolution of language and the "W" word [View all]ancianita
(42,763 posts)But age doesn't bring dignity, respectability or legitimacy to sexual pejoratives simply because etymology explains or because of free word use. Longevity shows magical power as much through inducing fear -- thus, 'no' -- in the hearers and awe for the fear inducers who used a word to define a 'whole' woman whose sexuality was angering, to be held in check, and deemed dangerous to men because of the unfree culture of male enforcement that it was used for.
Its power lay in who controlled who said what words as well as how that power was enforced. How that power was lost will play out with the "N" word, too. Chance the Rapper just laughingly on stage declared that all white people can use "nigga", etc. All the laughter showed that, really, no one took him seriously.
Whore's pejorative 'magic' was 'lost' when men were forced to realize that the word has been an historically defensive projection of their own behaviors -- emphasis on forced since this is a pretty recent 'evolution' in the human timeline.