The origin of the word b*tch is contested, but one theory suggests that it comes from the Old English word bicce, meaning female dog. The term "son of a b*tch" was used to refer to pagans who worshiped the Roman goddess, Diana (aka Artemis). The next major use of the word was in Shakespeare's works. Up to this point in history, bitch has not been used to refer to women. That changed with the release of the 16th Century manuscript "The Porkington Manuscript." "By god, he is a shrewd b*tch. In faith, I know, he is a witch." The author is relating a b*tch to a witch, which is associated with women. The word b*tch began to become more widely used in the 18th century, but returned to its original meaning, "female dog."
During the 1920s, the use of the word b*tch rose even higher, along with women's suffrage in the United States.
That leads us to present day, where b*tch has around a million different meanings, most of which equate being feminine to being a bad trait. If you Google "define b*tch," tons of definitions come up on Webster's dictionary, and millions come up on Urban Dictionary.
B*tch (n) a female dog, wolf, fox, or otter
The b*tch had her pups.
B*tch (v): to express displeasure; to grumble
Quit your b*tching.
B*tch (n): a malicious, spiteful, or overbearing woman
Gosh, she's a b*tch.
B*tch (n): something that is extremely difficult, or objectionable
That paper was a b*tch.
B*tch (n): modern-day servant, a person who performs tasks for another
I'm my boss' b*tch.
B*tch (n): the person sitting in the middle back seat
My friend was sitting b*tch again.
So what do we do with b*tch? Should we be extremely offended? Do we re-claim the word? Do we even care?
Personally, I'm conflicted. On one hand, I love the Lilly Allen song "Hard Out Here," and I do find referring to myself as a b*tch oddly liberating. I would not want someone else, more specifically men, to call me a b*tch in a degrading fashion, but if my girlfriends called me a "bad ass b*tch," I would be okay with it. Rebecca West, the editor of B*tch Magazine, argued for the reclaiming of the word: "When it’s being used as an insult, “b*tch” is an epithet hurled at women who speak their minds, who have opinions and don’t shy away from expressing them, and who don’t sit by and smile uncomfortably if they’re bothered or offended. If being an outspoken feminist means being a b*tch, we’ll take that as a compliment, thanks."
But I also see the harm in the commonplace-ness of the word. Despite what Rebecca West states, b*tch also refers to manipulative and catty behavior. It denotes whining and inferiority. Saying "that test was a real b*tch" is common place, but never have I heard "that test was a real d*ck." B*tch is equated with women and being feminine. So when b*tch is a common term for all things negative, what does that say about how our society views women and feminine behavior?
