Ever since I first learned the word “cunnilingus,” I’ve been trying to verb it. We English-speakers can easily verb “fellatio,” right? It’s easy for folks to fellate, the sexually adventurous have fellated for years, and fellating is pretty common even in states where it’s illegal. But the only amusing vocabularic derivation of cunnilingus is a noun (albeit a fun one): cunnilinguist.
Why is this, dear readers? If it can be assumed that a language’s construction tells us most of what we need to know about a culture, then is it not true that, in our culture, fellatio is an action, whereas cunnilingus is a concept? I will bet you a whole platter of cookies that the reason that there is no verb form of cunnilingus is the same reason that there are about twice as many words for “rich” as there are for “love.”
Ponder on it, and tell me how you’d verb cunnilingus in the comments!
Related post: The Plural of Clitoris
I'm not a cunning linguist, so why try to make it a verb? Leave it with preforming it.
It must be verbed for many reasons. One, bragging rights! Without a verb form, how do you talk about cunnilingus? You might say to your buddies over a couple of brewskies: "I was cunniling-ing the other day, and boy is my jaw tired!" Or, alternatively: "Cunnilingulating is a skill only for the deft, like myself and others with similarly well-developed sexypowers."Another reason is so we can pass on this great tradition for years to come. Without a verb form, it is a silent art that could easily be lost when historians look back on our society and teach schoolchildren that the only sex act performed with any regularity was that of fellating. We certainly don't want future generations of children missing out once they grow up, now, do we?
I am a cunning linguist, so the verb is: "to cunniling"Example: "If you fellate me I will cunniling you."
It's tricky because "cunnilingus" doesn't lend itself to be turning into other words. For example: * I cunnil her. * You cunnil her. * She cunnils her. * They all cunnilled her in rapid succession. * He is cunniling her. * To cunnil is to perform the act of cunnilingus.That's not awful, though it's a little awkward. But: * I cunniling her. * You cunniling her. * She cunnilings her. * They all cunnilinged her in rapid succession. * He is cunnilinging her…. that's much worse.
Can't it be conjugated like any other Latin word? (Don't ask me to actually conjugate it – I'm not a cunning linguist and Latin class left me scarred for life.)
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Personally I don't see how we could possible beat the verb used in this wikipedia excerpt: "Older erotic literature refers to it as "gamahuching", with some variation in the spelling."Gamahuching, 'nuff said.
"Cunnilingue" sounds pretty good to me, despite the unfortunate present participle. Because the Latin root is "lingua," I feel the "u" is necessary.However, my fiance (an experienced cunnilinguist) pointed out to me that the word "art" also has no verb form…
Cunnilingate. He loves to cunnilingate his fiance.
@Ambivalent Academic: I assume so. I learned Latin roots in middle school, but I'll be damned if I can remember any of it.I really like lapastorella's suggestion. But tell your fiance that "science" is also verbless.@Achillesminor: A return to eroticism's roots may be in order. "Tipping the velvet" comes to mind.@trypx: I like this mostly because it ends in "-gate," much like Watergate or Nipplegate.
You could combine it with fellate and make cunnilate.
according to the online etymology dictionary: lingus refers to the person who licks, not the act of licking itself, so we started out on the wrong foot to begin with. The proper verb form is apparently cunni+lingue – to lick cunt, or possibly to tongue cunt. I have no idea how to conjugate that to the past tense and the internet isn't helping.possible candidates:cunnilingoedcunnilingeredcunnilinguacedcunnilingledlicked cuntcuntlingatedlingulated cuntlylingcunnissed
It's probably easier with a euphemism. * I rugmunch * You rugmunch * He, she or it rugmunches * We rugmunch * You rugmunch * They rugmunch
I have a friend who's verbed it in his poetry to nice effect. Everything's verbable when you're poeting!
Verbing nouns weirds language.
I approve. Again and again…
Since we simply add "d" to the verb "to tongue" to get "tongued", couldn't we just use "cunnilingued" for the past tense?
Muff Diving, why verb an awkward word when there are so many handy verbable euphemisms?
I vote for Bezukhof's Cunnilingered. Not only does it verb the latin 'lingua' into the common word 'linger' rather than a convoluted latin verb, but it also conveys what the act is really all about – lingering around the pussy for as long as it takes.
There are so many great suggestions here that I may have to create some kind of poll or contest, then let the cunnilingetariat vote on what verb form is best.
I haven't an answer but I like the question.
@bluemilk Me, too. I wish I knew an actual linguist who could provide a definitive answer. Further research forthcoming!
I find this whole discussion fascinating…and its problem is in the opening sentence: “I have been trying to verb it”. As a recent American I am astonished with the obsession the natives have with trying to make nouns into verbs. The word “verb” is a noun and should (ironically?) not be used as a verb! If we turn every noun into a verb, then we will have to create new nouns to distinguish them from the verbs we have created. Nouns and verbs are separate for the very reason that we try to reduce the inherent homophonic ambiguity in speech.
Having argued against trying to turn cunnilingus into a verb, I will address the second issue…why do you feel there aren’t enough verbs to describe the act already:
to go down on, to carpet munch, give lip service, muff dive, eat pussy, dine at the Y, eating the axe wound, stimulate orally, lick (my) clit etc etc
How many verbs do you need?