Off-color language enthusiasts can thank Scotland for one of their favorites.
In a BBC Scotland documentary “Scotland – Contains Strong Language” which explores the nation’s history of using cuss words, they will examine an important 16th Century anthology of poetry called the Bannatyne Manuscript – compiled by George Bannatyne, a merchant from Edinburgh who coincidentally was on lockdown during a plague in the city when he wrote it. Among the works was “The Flyting of Dunbar and Kennedie” (a ‘flyting’ was the equivalent of a rap battle in those days) in which the phrase “wan fukkit funling” was used and considered to be the earliest known use of the F-word.
The documentary airs today on BBC Scotland (10pm local time) but available online after broadcast.
