How was sexual intercourse referred to before 'sex'?

Question

It seems that the word "sex" in the context of sexual intercourse is a fairly recent development. How would sexual intercourse have been referred to before the 1920's? Coitus? Is there a more casual word, or was the word 'coitus' casual at the time?

In more literary registers: making love, lying with someone, being intimate with someone, etc. In more colloquial registers, there have likely been slang terms like ‘fuck’ etc. for basically as long as there’s been language. — Janus Bahs Jacquet, Aug 30 '13 at 11:40
And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord. (Genesis 4:1 KJV) — MetaEd, Aug 30 '13 at 11:50
I happen to be familiar with the Biblical use of "knew", but I ask about colloquial, non-vulgar use. The word "sex" is colloquial, is not vulgar, nor is it considered literary or sermo nobilis. — dotancohen, Aug 30 '13 at 11:56
@StoneyB And due to this use by OT translators, "knew" was used in polite contexts for centuries to mean "had sexual intercourse with". — MetaEd, Aug 30 '13 at 11:58
In the past, counsel for the plaintiff in British adultery cases would say, if reports are to be believed, ‘They then went upstairs where intimacy took place, m’lud.’ — Barrie England, Aug 30 '13 at 12:04
In the movie Mamma Mia, Donna is reading from her mothers diary, where it is referred just as ..., in which Donna explains to her friends: "dot dot dot - That's when they 'did it' in the olden days". — awe, Aug 30 '13 at 12:56
@AndrewLeach: Is that why I hear "that fucking congressman" so often? — dotancohen, Aug 30 '13 at 13:13
@Barrie: 'Given two mature adults of opposite sex sharing a bed voluntarily, the law will presume intimacy took place -unless they are husband and wife.' Too Good to Check folder. — Tim Lymington, Aug 30 '13 at 17:11
There could have been anything but 'sexual intercourse' before the word sex was coined, naturally? — Kris, Aug 31 '13 at 12:18
@tchrist: Why did you add the [offensive-language] tag to this question? What offensive is on it??? — Honza Zidek, Jun 05 '18 at 09:19

score 25 · Accepted Answer · answered Aug 30 '13 at 21:43

25

Fuck, from the 16th century.

Roger, from 1711.

Screw, from 1725.

Shag, from 1788.

What a great question.

answered Aug 30 '13 at 21:43

silves89

1,908

I'd add “poke”, but I cannot say when it was used in that sense. – Carsten S Aug 31 '13 at 14:45
4

Fuck is from well before the 16th century, though it's not often attested because of its vulgarity. – siride Sep 01 '13 at 01:08
11

Roger that!‏‏‏‏ – dotancohen Sep 01 '13 at 07:08
2

I love how specific these are. If only we knew exactly which day in 1711 ole Jimmy boy gave Sally a good rogering.. – OJFord Dec 12 '14 at 22:44
1

@siride If I am not mistaken, George Carlin talked about it here. Also, I have been a fan of historical fiction, and I have read some of Horatio Alger Jr's works, and I found out that he was accused of 'Abominable and Revolting Crime of Gross Familiarity.' This may have been a euphemism at the time for sex abuse. – HeavenlyHarmony May 10 '21 at 11:35

Pieter Geerkens · Answer 2 · 2013-08-31T12:12:33.210

How about knew, as in the Biblical sense as here in Genesis 48 38, verse 26 (the earliest usage in Genesis (King James Authorized) that I could find):

And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.

Here at Collins online dictionary is a definition:

9.(archaic) to have sexual intercourse with

Alternatively, up a few verses in verse 16 we have the phrase come in unto me used thus:

And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?

you can go well earlier than chapter 38: chapter 4 verse 1a "And Adam knew Eve his wife: who conceived and brought forth Cain" — warren, Dec 16 '14 at 16:47

score 9 · Answer 3 · answered Aug 30 '13 at 17:02

9

In some archaic literature, "to lie with" would denote sexual intercourse. This gave rise (excuse the pun) to the modern colloquial "to get laid."

Please see http://www.thefreedictionary.com/lie+with

answered Aug 30 '13 at 17:02

digimunk

179

score 5 · Answer 4 · answered Aug 31 '13 at 16:01

Fornication

Fornication typically refers to consensual sexual intercourse between two people not married to each other [...] The word derives from Latin, fornix meaning "arch", supposedly as a euphemism for "brothel". The first recorded use in English is in the Cursor Mundi, c. 1300; [...]"Fornicated" as an adjective is still used in botany, meaning "arched" or "bending over" (as in a leaf). John Milton plays on that and its sexual meaning in The Reason of Church-Government Urged against Prelaty (1642):
"[She] gives up her body to a mercenary whordome under those fornicated [ar]ches which she cals Gods house."

Not to be confused with formication. :) – tchrist May 25 '14 at 13:14 — tchrist, May 25 '14 at 13:14

How was sexual intercourse referred to before 'sex'?

4 Answers4