# The Four Letter Word

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-four-letter-word/318919>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [August 27, 2005, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-four-letter-word/318919 "2005-08-27T23:43:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Sandman666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71e660/32.png) [@Sandman666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sandman666)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-four-letter-word/318919/1 "2005-08-27T23:43:40Z")

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Dear Cecil,  
Apropos your assay of the four letter word, consider this piece.  
The word may have originated from ‘gawd-knows-which’ language, but in today’s world, like the way we know it, use it and laugh on it…

On the lighter side —

* * *

Did you ever stop and think how flexible “THE FOUR LETTER WORD” can be ???

SUBJECT: Latin derivation of ‘FUCK’

Perhaps one of the most interesting and colorful words in the English language today is the word “FUCK”. It is the one magical word which just by its sound, can describe pain, pleasure, love, and hate. In language, “FUCK” falls into many grammatical categories.

Cheers  
Sandman

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**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-four-letter-word/318919/2 "2005-08-28T01:11:32Z")

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This would be a lot funnier if it were particularly witty, or if it displayed any actual comprehension of English grammar.

One supposes the reference is to [What’s the origin of the “F” word?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_268b.html)