It was used prior to the punk movement in the late seventies sometimes to describe a young rebel to society what are the origins of the word?
2007-01-02 16:51:23 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
According to my SOED, "punk" first appeared in writing in 1596 and meant a prostitute, strumpet or harlot. By the 19th century it meant anything worthless or rubbish. By the late 19th century it meant an insignificant, mean or unpleasant person and during World War I it came to mean a young homosexual. Since then the meaning has changed a few times with Marlon Brando being called a punk in The Wild One and from there on to Punk Rock.
The second meaning of punk which was rotten wood or a fungus on rotten wood became kindling and touchwood and then a slow match for lighting fireworks. The origin of this meaning is different from the first.
2007-01-02 17:22:59 · answer #1 · answered by tentofield 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It began as a bizarre kind of overcooked corn, explained in a 1618 account of certain Indians in Virginia: "Some of them, more thriftye then cleanly, doe burne the coare of the eare to powder, which they call pungnough, mingling that in their meale, but yt never tasted well in bread or broath." Around that time, also, punk was a word for "ashes" in the Delaware Indian language.
A couple of centuries later, punk had become a word for the slow-burning sticks used in kindling fireworks. By 1889 it was a slang term for a cigarette, and by the end of the century punk had a sense "worthless" as in a story by George Ade: "And this crowd up there was purty-y-y punk."
Today's first meaning of punk, a small-time hoodlum, developed in the period between the World Wars. And in the late 1970s punk came to designate bizarre clothing and body decorations associated with loud and aggressive rock music. To the general public, it still has an unpleasant taste.
2007-01-02 17:20:21 · answer #2 · answered by fairygothmommy 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Probably from German dialect Dude which means fool or a stupid person. It gets back to late 19th century. Also in this way "dude ranch" comes from an old meaning of the word dude, a man from the city who wears fashionable clothes. Hope it could be of some help!
2016-05-22 21:59:10 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
maybe the young teenagers came up with it ;) xj
2007-01-02 16:59:00 · answer #4 · answered by ❤נαcкiε❤ 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I dont know, but I'm sure somebody must
2007-01-02 16:58:14 · answer #5 · answered by cotoneaster 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My guess is from a P(iece of j)UNK... same as spoiled.
2007-01-02 17:00:39 · answer #6 · answered by wacky_racer 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋