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[–]Q-Continuum-kin 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Also no citations but I seem to remember something about the history of England. Where the royals and upper class used "intercourse" because it was related to French. The term "fuck" became known as a swear because it was the term used by the peasants and was somehow related to a different language from Germanic tribes.

Sex is a category specifically related to reproduction.

[–]HelloMomo 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

English has a lot of Germanic (original Old English) vs Latin (by way of French) etymology leading to having different connotations for words that are technically the same meaning!

Like "smell" (Germanic) vs "odor" (Latin). Or "cow" (English, because they spoke English out in the fields) vs "beef" (because they spoke French in the castle where it was prepared all fancy).