“Don’t Call Me a ‘Bitch’!” “You’re such a bitch!” “Quit bitching!” “I’m a bad bitch!” Ah, the word “bitch”. What does it really mean? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines bitch as “a female dog”, “a malicious, unpleasant, selfish person, especially a woman”, “a complaint”, and “a person who is submissive or subservient to someone, usually in a humiliating way” to name a few. Perhaps you have heard it on a reality television program, in a catchy rap song, at the vet (if you have a female dog of course), or been called a “bitch”. Generally considered a controversial and complex word, almost everyone has heard and used it at some point in their life. A noun, a verb, or an insult, however you use it, there is a long history that precedes “bitch”.
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However, the definition and connotation of the word has undergone a series of modifications and alterations. It has been evolving continuously throughout history, and is still evolving in the present. Let’s start at the very beginning of when this ambiguous word first came about. “Bitch” first began as a term for female dogs around 1000 A.D. according to the Oxford English Dictionary. It began to be used as an offensive, derogatory term some time during the 15th century. During this period, calling a woman a “bitch” meant that she was promiscuous and immoral, which is what we describe nowadays as a “whore” or “slut”. Calling a woman a “bitch” alluded to a female dog in heat that produces several puppies. This explains why “son of a bitch” is an insult, because it is being implied that the person’s mother has sexual relations with many people …show more content…
Music was most credited for the continuous evolution of the word “bitch” in the 2000’s, as artists were using “bitch” in their songs, with each having a different connotation. Although some were still using “bitch” as a substitute for “woman” like Jay-Z in his 2003 song “99 Problems”, or Busta Rhymes in his 2006 song “I Love My Bitch”, some artists referred to themselves as a “bitch”, but instead with the intent to convey that they are a powerful, strong woman. This is evident in the song “Boss Ass Bitch” the group PTAF released in 2014, in which the lead artist calls herself a “boss ass bitch”, elaborating on her independent nature (Pardes).
In 2012, the Federal Communications Commission ruled that “bitch” need not be censored on television, citing that the word was open to interpretation and possessed many meanings. Since then, “bitch” has become so popular and overused that the majority of people have become desensitized to it (Pardes). Despite the fact that the word has been evolving since 1000 A.D., we are still using the majority of the definitions to this day. Maybe not to call someone a “whore” though, since we already have enough words to call someone
However, the definition and connotation of the word has undergone a series of modifications and alterations. It has been evolving continuously throughout history, and is still evolving in the present. Let’s start at the very beginning of when this ambiguous word first came about. “Bitch” first began as a term for female dogs around 1000 A.D. according to the Oxford English Dictionary. It began to be used as an offensive, derogatory term some time during the 15th century. During this period, calling a woman a “bitch” meant that she was promiscuous and immoral, which is what we describe nowadays as a “whore” or “slut”. Calling a woman a “bitch” alluded to a female dog in heat that produces several puppies. This explains why “son of a bitch” is an insult, because it is being implied that the person’s mother has sexual relations with many people …show more content…
Music was most credited for the continuous evolution of the word “bitch” in the 2000’s, as artists were using “bitch” in their songs, with each having a different connotation. Although some were still using “bitch” as a substitute for “woman” like Jay-Z in his 2003 song “99 Problems”, or Busta Rhymes in his 2006 song “I Love My Bitch”, some artists referred to themselves as a “bitch”, but instead with the intent to convey that they are a powerful, strong woman. This is evident in the song “Boss Ass Bitch” the group PTAF released in 2014, in which the lead artist calls herself a “boss ass bitch”, elaborating on her independent nature (Pardes).
In 2012, the Federal Communications Commission ruled that “bitch” need not be censored on television, citing that the word was open to interpretation and possessed many meanings. Since then, “bitch” has become so popular and overused that the majority of people have become desensitized to it (Pardes). Despite the fact that the word has been evolving since 1000 A.D., we are still using the majority of the definitions to this day. Maybe not to call someone a “whore” though, since we already have enough words to call someone