A short history of a few words to treat with mindfulness By Mya Cole Words are an integral part of human interaction and different words hold varying meanings and sentiments to groups of people, cultures and individuals. They carry memories of the past and their origins are rich and varied. Words also evolve over time, their meanings changing. This can happen for a myriad of reasons, often beginning with an insidious agenda followed by a cultural shift which can come in the form of a reclamation of certain words by a group of people. Words are tools, and knowing how to use them can bring one great power. So in saying that it is important to know the histories of where they come from and realise the connotations you may be inadvertently
invoking when using them. To quote Emma Ng, author of Old Asian, New Asian, "As long as we are allowed to forget, we will find ourselves returning to fight the same battles." Below is a short list of words to be mindful of.
Cunt The word ‘cunt’ is widely known as a ‘taboo’ word. I distinctly remember hearing the word used in a film as a preteen and my cousin telling me in a very serious tone that I was never to use it, as it was apparently “the most offensive word in the English language”. Despite its apparently offensive nature, its use is steadily increasing. The word’s origin stems from a place of describing the feminine in an empowering way; it’s
found in Sanskrit and Ancient Egyptian language to describe the female sexuality and genitalia. The negative use of ‘cunt’ is common, misguided and new; in the more recent past (medieval England) it was merely used as a descriptor for female genitals. The shifting of this word into a negative context is baffling; why take a word to describe female genitalia, or the power of the feminine, and turn it into an insult? Patriarchal insecurities? Despite this, ‘cunt’ is being reclaimed by women in a significant way. It is used by women for female empowerment, in the sense of a reclamation of the original definition of the word. It is a powerful and evocative word when said aloud and it is up to us how it is used: let’s use it right and with respect to its origins.
