Yup, the pejorative came first, before even the gender applied to,
but when I look at the Germanic cognates
(http://books.google.com/books?id=Lx8B2tyuy1MC&pg=PA444&lpg=PA444&dq=slut+etymology&source=web&ots=c_Y7kYOIv4&sig=dModOQmfb78SJs4rAOMa9GFMQgw)
the sexual imputation appears in some languages but not in others.
Meanings in the various languages: Icelandic, a heavy, loglike
fellow; Swedish dialect, a slut, an idler; Norwegian, idler; Danish,
slut; verb forms, Icel;andic and Norwegian to droop, allied to Danish
loose, flabby. From slot-, stem of past participle of Norwegian
sletta, to dangle, drift, idle about. Further allied to Dutch slodde,
a slut, and the verb to slide.Cf. Irish slaodaire, a lazy person,
from slaod, to slide.
I'm assuming that the various idle, slovenly meanings are earlier,
and that by a process of convergence the sexual and the social
accreted to the word. Seems to me too reasonable to be a
frseh-hatched folk etymology of my own, but I'm aware that the best
available is far short of proof.
Mark
At 11:07 PM 8/31/2007, you wrote:
>>I think the class identification has to be prior, and the pejorative senses
>>attached to it. So, the scullery is filthy, as there weren't many resources
>>for her to be otherwise and her work was filthy; sexually loose because her
>>virtue had little social or economic value and loss of same wasn't as
>>likely to invalidate her for marriage as it would have a girl in the
>>doweried classes.
>
>I'd be inclined to agree, Mark, but the *recorded early references (from
>just after 1400) are heavily loaded to the negative, and even from the
>beginning, the particular sense of slut as scullery or kitchen maid is quite
>rare in comparison to other (simply pejorative) uses.
>
>********************
>
> The OED gives:
>
> 1. a. A woman of dirty, slovenly, or untidy habits or appearance; a foul
>slattern.
> 1402 Hoccleve Letter of Cupid 237 The foulest slutte of al a tovne.
>
> b. A kitchen-maid; a drudge. rare.
> c1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 133 The quene her toke to make a slutte, And
>to vile services her putt.
>
> ?c. A troublesome or awkward creature. Obs.-1
> c1460 J. Russell Bk. Nurture in Babees Bk. (1868) 158 Crabbe is a slutt
>to kerve & a wrawd wight.
>
> 2. a. A woman of a low or loose character; a bold or impudent girl; a
>hussy, jade.
>c1450 Cov. Myst. (Shaks. Soc.) 218 Com forth, thou sloveyn! com forthe,
>thou slutte!
>
>******************************
>
>So all the meanings come in about the same time over a fifty year period,
>with the neutral "kitchen maid" by far the least common. This seems to be
>confirmed by the references in LEME (Lexicons of Early Modern English).
>
>Would that it were otherwise, and I'd agree that the class element lies
>behind it. Nevertheless, the word *itself was negative from the start,
>rather than the negative associations becoming attached to it.
>
>To coin a possibility, women who were perceived as sluts tended to end up as
>scullery-maids, rather than vice versa.
>
> Counter-intuitive, I agree. :-(
>
>Robin
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