The term slut is defined on Merriam-Webster as “a slovenly woman,” and “a promiscuous woman, especially a prostitute.” The origin of this term is ambiguous, although we do know that it has roots in the German, Swedish, Dutch and Old English languages. The word also relates to the word “slattern,” which is defined as an “untidy, dirty woman.” However, according to the etymological origins of the word slut, it didn’t technically appear in literature until Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales in the 1400s.
Chaucer writes, “Why is thy lord so sluttish, I thee preye, / And is of power better cloth to beye / If that his dede accorde with thy speche?” (lines 83-85). In these lines, the word slut is more closely related to “slattern” in the sense that it describes an untidy man. However, in popular culture, the term has since taken on a definition of its own. The dirtiness connoted by Chaucer with the term “sluttish” has morphed into referring to a sexual impurity rather than a physical one. Today, being a “slut” more closely matches the Merriam-Webster definition although what is considered “slutty” throughout history has changed.
The word “slut” has evolved from a reference to untidiness and dirtiness to a representation of sexual promiscuity. However, in order to understand how “slut” has changed in time, we must first look at historical relationship and gender standards. During the middle ages, the highest expectation of love was known as “courtly love.” The code of courtly love originated in 11th century France and was known as a ritualistic type of “fine love.” This type of relationship involved ritual gift giving, secrecy, and worshipping the woman. At the time, adulterous relationships were championed as “the most pure,” because they worked through and overcame obstacles. Love was not considered to fall into the convention of marriage. One of the most famous examples of courtly love is that of Lancelot and Guinevere.
In contrast to this, prostitution was also common at the time. According to historian N.M. Heckel, prostitution may have been performed for financial independence (although no one can say for sure). [Veld]Heckel also mentions Chaucer again, as Alisoun from “The Millers Tale” has a great amount of lustful sexuality that is both out of her hands and punished by outside parties. Her engagement with love and sex do not reflect the distance that had been upheld by courtly love. Although Alisoun gets married and involves herself with a secret affair, she has no respect for the principals of it. For her, it’s about the physicality of sex rather than the practice of love.
If we jump forward to the 1500s, the word slut began deviating from its original “untidy” definition to something closer to what is used today. Similar to many 16th century works, this definition is drawn from William Shakespeare. The term specifically arises in William Shakespeare’s As You Like It, based on his characters Audrey, a country girl, and Touchstone, a jester. The term slut appears when Touchstone states, “Truly and to cast away honesty upon a foul slut were to put good meat into an unclean dish.” In response Audrey says, “I am not a slut, though I thank the gods I am foul.” The third and final use of the term appears when Touchstones responds, “Well, praised be the gods for thy foulness; sluttishness may come hereafter.”
Here, Audrey’s character is identified by her simplicity. She is placed in contrast to the lead of Rosalind, who is a sophisticated lady of the court. In this scene, Touchstone and Audrey seem to agree that the only positive quality Audrey possesses is her chastity. She is not a “slut.” She may not be beautiful, but at least she is a virgin. This is where we see a direct relation to the sexual nature of the term. Though Shakespeare’s use of the “unclean dish” metaphor relates back to the original use of the term, we can still assume that her character is rooted in her virginity. In fact, later within the scene, it states that they must get married before they have sex or they will “live in bawdry.” The importance of virginity and so-called “purity” is placed in relation to the term “slut.”
Moving on, the idea of purity and the slut is perhaps most prevalent within the Victorian era. The standards of the time placed women into one of two categories: the prostitute or the angel of the house. The poet, Coventry Patmore, originated the term “angel of the house” in his 1854 poem of the same name. In the poem, Patmore describes his wife as:
At any time, she’s still his wife,
Dearly devoted to his arms;
She loves with love that cannot tire;
And when, ah woe, she loves alone,
Through passionate duty love springs higher,
As grass grows taller round a stone
The poem set the purity standard for the Victorian woman. The ideal woman did not reveal any sort of sexuality. Prostitutes, then, closely resemble the modern idea of the “slut.” Any sort of sexuality in women was condemned so much so that in 1864, the Contagious Diseases Act was put into effect. The law allowed “policeman to arrest prostitutes in ports and army towns and bring them in to have compulsory checks for venereal disease. If the women were suffering from sexually transmitted diseases they were placed in a locked hospital until cured.”
Outside of this practice, husbands could also divorce wives who cheated, as long as they provided proof of infidelity. On the other hand, women attempting to divorce their husbands had to prove infidelity and also prove that their husbands had treated then cruelly, had deserted them, or had committed acts of incest or bigamy. At the same time, if a woman displayed any sort of sexuality, she could be legally and socially condemned for it, thus making it easier to define her as a “slut.” In this time, a “slut” was any woman who was not passively sexual.
Throughout this exploration, there has been a consistency between a “past slut” and a “modern slut.” But we are going to deviate from that slightly. Although most of the basic traits of “slutty women” haven’t changed, the physical descriptions of a “slut” have evolved. Modesty and chastity in women have been the foundation of “pure” women.
However, what is considered modest in fashion and social behavior has changed over time. This can be illustrated best with the prostitutes of the late 19th century/early 20th century. The clothes they wore and the behaviors they held up encapsulated all the negative traits a woman could have at the time, which included being unmarried, making her own money, wearing bright colors or makeup, cutting her hair short, walking on her own in public, owning property, and liking sex.
All of these are things we see everywhere now. Take the color red, for example. Red was originally perceived as a “whore’s color.” But, in 2004 the American Heart Association started the “Go Red for Woman” fashion show to encourage awareness about heart disease in women. Another good example is the use of lipstick. Before, any sort of makeup was considered shameful, as the “painted woman” was considered the “painted whore.” Now, the beauty industry and culture that dominates the world show women everywhere wearing makeup. Overall, while the basic idea of a “slut” as a “promiscuous woman” has stayed consistent, what identifies a woman as “promiscuous” has changed.
Within the last few years, there has been a movement to re-appropriate the term slut in order to break down its historical definitions. This has resulted in the creation of political protest marches known as “Slutwalks.”
The first protest was prompted in 2011 after local Toronto Police member, Constable Michael Sanguinetti, stated in a visit to Osgoode Hall Law School, “You know, I think we’re beating around the bush here. I’ve been told I’m not supposed to say this – however, women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized.” From there, the first “Slutwalk” began when people protested victim blaming, rape culture, slut-shaming, and sexual assault.
At these walks, women protest the culture that has shamed women for centuries. In the protest, women wear anything from tiny shorts and a bra to nothing but pasties and some underwear. This is a revolutionary stand to show that regardless of attire, no woman is “asking for it.”
It is also a common practice at these marches for women to write derogatory terms on their bodies such as “slut,” “whore,” and “bitch.” Recently, Amber Rose showed her support for the cause. Amber Rose has been consistently slut-shamed (particularly by her ex-boyfriend, Kanye West) in the public eye due to her past as a stripper – something she has proclaimed to be unashamed of. In October 2015, Amber Rose hosted a Slutwalk in Los Angeles. At this event, one woman in particular went completely topless with “No shame in my slut game” boldly written on her back.
And, despite history and literature saying otherwise, this woman is right. The traits for a slut are highly paradoxical. Despite what the dictionary says, the definition is always changing.
