Thread Closed
(11-06-2015, 03:43 AM)V Wrote: Is it inherently insulting by established definition, or because society has deemed it to be so?Surprise! There is no "or." They both have merit.
If the former, Umi's argument has merit. If the latter, my argument has merit.
Umi mentioned that the word had inherently degrading roots. This is quite true. Since people have already bandied about dictionary definitions, let us use the best dictionary, the OED.
There, we learn "prostitute" as a verb is the oldest written form of the phrase in the English language*, stemming from the latin of "Prostitut": I quote: "past participial stem of prÅstituere to offer for sale, to prostitute, to put to an unworthy use, to expose to public shame, dishonour".
So the root word was inherently a pejorative. Its continued use, both as a verb and as a description of a profession, is likewise as a pejorative. Part of its staying power as a verb is in its euphemistic nature. It does not literally describe sex-work, but selling oneself for advantage. We refer to people doing something against their principles for gain as "prostituting" oneself. This is not meant to be a compliment.
How is it the case, then, that as a verb, this is an insult, but as a noun, a completely appropriate technical description of a profession that is entirely acceptable? Because we have the etymology backwards. Prostitute was not used to describe sex workers as a profession first; the term existed as an insulting verb first, and began describing a profession second.**Â
Part of the utility of "sex worker" in this case is also that it strips away the euphemistic nature of the term by not acting as a verb. You are not going to sex worker your principles in order to get a promotion or get elected. It's a small change in the process of destigmatizing sex work, but a useful one.
*One of the downsides of the OED is it can only work with the written word, not the spoken, so take terms of origin with a grain of salt.
**Sidenote: Prostitute did, briefly, have a positive connotation, in the sense of "To offer with complete devotion," based on a presumed connection to "prostrate." This is now an obsolete form of the term. Damn shame.
Verad Bellveil's Profile | The Case of the Ransacked Rug | Verad's Fate Sheet
Current Fate-14 Storyline:Â Merchant, Marine
Current Fate-14 Storyline:Â Merchant, Marine