The term's origin is likely Germanic, even though no one knows the precise word from which it came down to us.
The word “fuck” derives from an acronymic phrase, either “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge” or “Fornication Under Consent of the King.”Though a few common English words have grown out of acronyms of major words in a phrase),. With precious few exceptions, words of acronymic origin date from the 20th century and no earlier.
The acronymic explanation of the origin of “fuck” takes one of two paths: Fornication Under Consent of the King or For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. Dealing with the first of these, though it’s pleasing to think couples looking to procreate in those Dark Old Days had to first obtain the sovereign’s permission and then post a notice of what they were up to so all the neighbors could enjoy a good snicker, a moment’s thought should set that one to rest.
One last nail in the coffin of the “fornication under consent of the king” origin comes from the word “fornication” itself. Though many reasonably conclude fornication is the old-time word for having sex, the term specifically excludes the physical union of man and wife. One can fornicate premaritally or extramaritally, but not intramaritally.
The second path has the word deriving from the short form of “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge.” Variously, adulterers, rapists, child molesters, and them wot engaged in premarital hanky-panky were, as part of their punishment, sentenced to wear a placard announcing their wrongdoing. According to this origin, adulterers locked the stocks in village squares sported “FUCK” around their necks as did rapists walking around in prison yards.
Here, the word that trips that proposed etymology is the least obvious one — “for.” Though displaying miscreants in stocks and public shaming were popular punishments in 18th and 19th century U.S.A., any placards left either on the prisoner or on top of the stock would list the crime succinctly. Thus, someone who’d been caught filching would have a placard that said “Thief” or “Stealing,” maybe even “Stealing a Cow,” but never one that read “For Stealing a Cow.” The “for” would be superfluous.
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