evolution of bitch

How has the term bitch changed women?

The word bitch came from the old English word, “bicce”, meaning female dog. According to The Oxford English dictionary, the definition of bitch, as female dog, was used until 1000 A.D. In 1837, the word bitch became an insult. The derogatory connotation of the word appeared when women were compared to dogs. For example, the word bitch “suggested high sexual desire in a woman, comparable to a dog in heat” or “someone who is belligerent, unreasonable, rudely intrusive or aggressive” ("Bitch(insult)") similar to a dog protecting her young. In 1920, the word began to grow in popularity.

Bitch became widely used after women started fighting for their rights. According to Figure 1, the term bitch became widely used around 1920. In that same year, women won the right to vote, and the women’s suffrage movement was finally noticed by society. This was one of the biggest victories for women at the time, but others saw it as a step in the wrong direction. As women became more vocal, so did their critics. Many people were against women’s suffrage at the time and preferred womens roles remain unchanged. Women were appearing more and more on the American stage, and the word bitch began to slip slowly into popular culture. The women who fought for equality went against society’s norm. They were not the submissive women society expected them to be; they spoke up, became independent, and argued for their rights. They found pride in going against how society wanted them to act. To their opponents, they were disruptive, annoying and aggressive. As a result, society labeled them as bitches.

Source: Baley, Clare. "Bitch; A History."clarebaley.com. Clare Baley, n.d. Web. 7 Dec 2013.

After the derogatory te...

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... as a derogatory term. Women wear shirts that say You messed with the wrong bitch, they drink Bitch wine, and they eat Skinny Bitch nutritional bars. Novelty items with the phrase You say bitch like it’s a bad thing are sold and the word bitch is used often in every day conversation. The word bitch has become a symbol of female independence, and by embracing the word, feminists were able to tell society that they don’t care what people say. Even though the word continues to be used in a derogatory way, that does not mean the work of feminists have failed. They were able to empower women in their journeys to reclaim the word bitch. Even though they may not have changed the minds of everyone in society, they have helped women understand their true potential, and worth. As long as women see themselves in a good way, the insult behind the word bitch won’t mean a thing.