Etymograph

English

orgasm

Orgasm may come from French orgasme.

  1. Frenchc. 1600–presentorgasme1uncertain
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1794orgasm1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English orgasm
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1794, Erasmus Darwin: “Hence simple fevers are of two kinds; first, the…”.

Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Frenchc. 1600–presentorgasmeWiktionary, English orgasmuncertain
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1794orgasmWiktionary, English orgasm. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1794, Erasmus Darwin: “Hence simple fevers are of two kinds; first, the…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *werǵ- ‘to make’

work, energy, wright, organic, boulevard, energetic, wrought, allergy, organize, organ, liturgy, metallurgy, bulwark, werk, argon, irk, irksome, wark, erg, 21 more

Today it means

noun A spasm or sudden contraction.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “orgasm”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / French orgasme / orgasm

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