Ye Olde Swear Words Part 2

More medieval foul language than you can shake a sword at

“Quoniam” is a medieval English euphemism for a woman’s private parts. Image modified from source.

Sh*t before it became dirty

In merry old England, the words “shit” and “piss” used to be so innocent that they even appeared on maps.

Take London’s Sherborne Lane, formerly known as Shitteborwelane (Shit Burrough Lane), later Shite-burn lane and Shite-buruelane and the now-long-gone Pissing Alley — both of which were likely used as public latrines. The occasional appearance of “shit” in placenames all over England attest to the fact that words for human bodily functions (and body parts) which we consider rude and disgusting today were mild enough to appear as formal placenames on maps and documents. Some examples are the hamlet of Shitterton in Dorset (the original name meant “farmstead on the Shitter” — the “Shitter” or “Shiter” was a brook used as an open sewer or toilet), the River Shooter in Lancashire, likewise originally known as the River Schiter (“Shitter”) with the exact same purpose, Shutwell in Warwickshire (previously named “Shitewelle” — a well for dumping excrement), Skidbrook in Lincolnshire which was formerly “Scitebroc” or “Shit Brook” and Shatterford in Staffordshire which was once called “Shitterford” (a ford built on a brook or stream called “Shitter” — yes, same as the above).