Why Female Dogs Are Called “B*tches”—And How the Word Became an Insult to Women

If you’ve ever talked about a female dog, you’ve likely wondered whether or not it’s appropriate to say the word b*tch, given that it’s also used as a swear word usually hurled at women. The simple answer is that it’s fine to use b*tch in canine-specific contexts—such as at the vet—but it’s also very common to simply say “girl” or “female” instead. The word’s origins and evolution over time require a little more explanation, though. 

1. The Origins of the Canine Curse Word
2. The Evolution of B*tch

The Origins of the Canine Curse Word

The word b*tch can be traced back to the Old English word bicce, which means “female dog” and was likely derived from the Old Norse word bikkjuna (which was also used to refer to other animals, such as foxes and wolves). But though the word began as a way to describe a female dog, people have been using it to insult women for centuries. 

One of the oldest surviving examples of the early form of b*tch uses it as a derogatory term for women. In the 12th century, a translator of Ælfric’s 10th century Latin homilies turned the phrase fracodan myltestran (meaning “wicked harlots”) into fulan horan and byccan (“foul wh*res and b*tches”). 

Early usage of b*tch as a curse word was specifically related to women sleeping around. “The early applications were to a promiscuous or sensual woman, a metaphorical extension of the behavior of a b*tch in heat,” writes Geoffrey Hughes, a professor of the history of the English language. For instance, in the anonymously authored 13th-century play Of Arthour and of Merlin, Gawain calls King Taurus a “biche-sone”—i.e. a son of a b*tch—to offensively say that his mother had sex with many men. In 1785, Francis Grose noted in his Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue that b*tch was “the most offensive appellation that can be given to an English woman, even more provoking than that of whore.” 

Although b*tch was the worst thing a woman could be called, it wasn’t actually a particularly common profanity for most of its history, and was more often simply used as a term for a female dog. Shakespeare, for instance, only used b*tch insultingly a couple of times in his plays, whereas wh*re and its variants crop up more than 100 times. 

The Evolution of B*tch

It wasn’t until the 1920s that using b*tch as a swear word exploded in popularity—possibly due to a misogynistic pushback against the rise of feminism and women gaining the right to vote. Instead of continuing to carry connotations of female promiscuity, the word started to signify a difficult or unpleasant woman. Kory Stamper, a former Merriam-Webster associate editor, told Vox that by the middle of the 20th century, b*tch’s definition as “a woman who is seen as conniving, malicious, or just plain bad” was really cemented. However, there was also some alternative usage of the word, with gay men in the 1920s using b*tchery and b*tched up to mean “gay bar” and “dressed up” respectively.

The meaning of b*tch really started to fracture in the latter half of the 20th century. Saying b*tchin’ to express “admiration, approval, or enthusiasm” has its roots in the ’50s and became mainstream during the ’80s. And although b*tch was mainly still used as an insult, from the 1970s, feminists made efforts to reclaim the word. “A woman should be proud to declare she is a B*tch,” wrote Jo Freeman in her influential “B*tch Manifesto,” which defined a b*tch as a woman who, among other things, is “driven, achieving, overwhelming, threatening, scary, ambitious, tough, brassy, masculine, boisterous, and turbulent.” In 1996, B*tch magazine was first was published, with co-founder Lisa Jervis writing in the magazine’s mission statement: “If being an outspoken woman means being a b*tch, we’ll take that as a compliment, thanks.”

The mercurial meaning of b*tch is also reflected in music, particularly in the genres of rap and hip hop. Since the ’80s, it’s been common for male rappers to use the word in a derogatory manner. For example, in the 1986 song “6 ’N the Mornin’,” Ice-T raps that when a woman talked back to him, he “beat the b*tch down in the goddamn street,” while Dr. Dre declared that “B*tches ain’t sh*t but hoes and tricks” in his 1992 single. However, plenty of female artists have sought to reappropriate the word as a term of empowerment—from Meredith Brooks proudly asserting “I’m a b*tch” in her 1997 hit to Lizzo declaring herself to be “100 percent that b*tch” in “Truth Hurts” (2017).

Although it’s still often used as an insult, b*tch’s harsh edges have definitely softened over the years. Along with women reframing the word, the sheer amount that it’s used has dulled its vulgar power—we need look no further than Breaking Bad’s Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) calling anyone and everyone a “b*tch” for proof of that. Plus, the word is no longer the worst thing a woman can be called, “c*nt” having stolen that crown.

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