venery

[prettygoodword]

venery - n., the indulgence or pursuit of sexual activity; the act of sexual intercourse.


A word since Anglo-Norman, ultimately from Latin roots -- yes, that's Venus in the stem. Not to be confused with venary (which was also sometimes spelled venery).

---L.

Comments

[larryhammer]

I don't know if I should admit this, but in the Mess In Progress, the society makes a cultural pun on the two words, though I haven't phrased it as such in the story: many young ladies pursue venary, which is encouraged as a way of keeping them from venery, though when they marry they're expected to exchange the a for the e. (Her Nibs is unusual for swapping her bow for a sword instead of a lady's keys.) It's a very medieval wordplay, though usually Venus and venison would be conflated instead of contrasted.

---L.

[movingfinger.livejournal.com]

Tread carefully. The spelling venary, venarie is old and rare. Looking over at OED, the first citation is for the hunting sense, with an e, in 1320; the sexual sense is later. I don't think you need the a/e.

One hopes you will not resist the opportunity to fire off a vaudevillian repertoire about dear/deer hunters, girls hunting for husbands and husbands hunting for girls, cover n. and v., etc etc etc?

[larryhammer]

I shall manfully try to not resist. I'd been thinking of something of the sort during the pseudo-troubadouring I know is in my future. Though that would be more for a popular song than a courtly poem. (I hadn't thought of the covering bits, he said as he scribbled a note.)

---L.

[movingfinger.livejournal.com]

If you're throwing something like this into the milieu as a core feature, you need a Groucho-cum-Mercutio figure to milk it dry.

[larryhammer]

A point. There's been dalliance and swiving, but little bawdry so far. And no one on stage at the moment seems capable of taking on Groucho's mustache --

...

-- oh, hello. He said, as disparate elements dovetailed together. And it even addresses what's missing from the current chapter, which I couldn't articulate what to do about.

Thank you!

---L.

[janni.livejournal.com]

Should I tell you now that that's too subtle, or wait for writer's group? ;-)

[larryhammer]

Wait for when/if it actually comes up. At the moment, it's scaffolding, not plaster.

---L.