Plural of 'arse,' a word meaning the buttocks (British usage) or a stubborn, foolish person.
From Old English 'ærs,' from Proto-Germanic 'arsaz,' possibly related to Latin 'arsa' (burnt). The word has been in English since before 1000 AD.
This is the original English word for the body part—Americans adopted the French-influenced 'ass' after 1066, which is why 'arse' sounds more British and 'ass' sounds more American today!
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