Where does the word 'fornication' come from?
In short
Fornication means consensual sex between two people who are not married to each other. The word entered English around 1300 through Old French from Late Latin fornicatio, built on fornix, an arch or vault. Roman writers used fornix for a brothel, reportedly because prostitutes solicited under arches. It appears repeatedly in the King James Bible of 1611.
What the full article will cover
- What does fornication mean today?
- Where does the word come from?
- Why did the Latin word for an arch come to mean a brothel?
- When did 'fornication' and 'fornicate' enter English?
- How have dictionaries defined it over time?
- Is the word still used in everyday British English?
Frequently asked questions
- Is fornication the same as adultery?
- Is 'fornicate' a real verb?
- What does 'fornix' mean in anatomy?
- Is 'fornication' an old-fashioned word?
Sources
- etymonline.com — https://www.etymonline.com/word/fornication
- merriam-webster.com — https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fornication
- etymonline.com — https://www.etymonline.com/word/fornicate
- merriam-webster.com — https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fornix
General information, not legal or religious advice.