Originally a female dog; in slang usage, often a derogatory term for a woman, though increasingly reclaimed and used in various contexts.
From Old English bicce meaning 'female dog', of uncertain ultimate origin. The derogatory application to women dates from around 1400, while more recent usage has seen attempts at reclamation and semantic broadening.
Few words demonstrate the power of linguistic reclamation like 'bitch' - while historically used to diminish women by comparing them to animals, it has been increasingly reclaimed as a term of empowerment and solidarity. The word's journey from neutral animal term to slur to reclaimed identity marker illustrates how language both reflects and shapes social power dynamics.
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