Why don't we use the word 'swive' anymore? It's a good word. It has a feel to it. It's not harsh like that other word. It's almost courtly, elegant. Like a dance step. Swive. 'S a good word.
Oh, I'm not saying instead of, just in addition to :) Mostly I wonder why it went out of fashion. The stuff I've been reading recently (bawdy Reconstruction-era poetry) used both words with pretty much equal frequency. There was also the interesting 'tarse' as a synonym for 'cock' that gave rise to lots of 'tarse' and 'arse' rhymes. It appeared that back then there were simply more options when it came to terminology. I wonder why we lost some of that, and why certain terms remained while others fell out of favour.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2008-04-19 08:53 pm (UTC)"I've come to swive it wealthily in Padua;
If wealthily, then happily in Padua"
etc...
Yup. I'm with you.
no subject
Date: 2008-04-19 08:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-19 09:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-19 11:45 pm (UTC)It is a good word, but there's also something satisfying about the coarseness of the other word.
no subject
Date: 2008-04-19 11:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-20 02:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-20 06:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-20 08:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-20 09:03 pm (UTC)