Glossary

French "amour," love, from Latin "amor." Borrowed into English chiefly for a love affair, often a secret one.

Latin "ardor," a flame or heat, from "ardēre," to burn. Used figuratively of intense feeling.

Middle English "bokel," from Old French "bocle," the boss of a shield, from Latin "buccula," the cheek-strap of a helmet.

Old English "candel," an early borrowing from Latin "candēla," from "candēre," to shine or be white.

French "caresse," from Italian "carezza," from "caro," dear, from Latin "cārus."

American English, from about 1859, from Spanish "cincha," a saddle girth, from Latin "cingula," a belt, from "cingere," to gird.

Middle English "coler," from Old French "colier," from Latin "collare," a band for the neck, from "collum," neck.

Old French "consentir," from Latin "consentīre," to feel together — "con-," with, and "sentīre," to feel.

Old French "corset," a diminutive of "cors," body, from Latin "corpus." Literally a small body — a stiffened garment worn over the torso.

Old French "desirer," from Latin "dēsīderāre," to long for. Often traced to "de sidere," from the stars, on the theory that it began as an augury term — a widely repeated but unproven derivation.

Old French "embracier," from "en-," in, and "brace," the arms, from Latin "bracchia," the plural of "bracchium," arm.

Old English "feþer," from Proto-Germanic *fethrō; cognate with Latin "penna" and Greek "pteron," both meaning wing.

Old French "gartier," from "garet," the bend of the knee; possibly of Celtic origin. The band that held a stocking up before elastic.

Old French "gentil," high-born, from Latin "gentīlis," of the same clan. The sense shifted from well-born to mild in manner over the medieval period.

Middle English "herneis," from Old French "harneis," equipment or baggage — originally a soldier's gear, later the straps worked onto a draught animal.

Middle English "hytchen," to move with a jerk; the ultimate origin is obscure. The sense of fastening by friction is nautical, recorded from the 1660s.

Japanese 緊縛, from 緊 "kin," tight, and 縛 "baku," to bind. The older and more specific Japanese term for the practice.

Old English "cnotta," from a Proto-Germanic root shared with Dutch "knot" and German "Knoten." The related verb "cnyttan" gives modern English "knit."

From "lace," Middle English "las," from Old French "laz," a cord or noose, from Latin "laqueus," a snare.

Latin "languor," faintness or weariness, from "languēre," to be weak.

Middle English "lees," from Old French "laisse," a hunting lead, from "laissier," to let go, from Latin "laxare," to loosen.

Old French "reverie," revelry or wildness, from "resver," to wander or rave. The modern sense of a daydream came later, from French "rêverie."

Middle English "riban," from Old French "riban." The earlier history is uncertain, possibly Germanic. A narrow woven band.

Old English "rāp," from Proto-Germanic *raipaz; cognate with Old Norse "reip" and Dutch "reep." The general word for heavy twisted cord.

A modern English compound of "safe" and "word," from BDSM community usage in the later twentieth century. An agreed word that halts a scene.

Old French "satin," from Arabic "zaytūnī," referring to Zaytun — the Arabic name for the Chinese port of Quanzhou, from which the cloth was shipped.

Japanese 縛り, the noun form of "shibaru," to tie or bind. Used in English for Japanese rope bondage; in Japan the practice itself is more often called kinbaku.

Old English "sioloc." Reached English through Baltic and Slavic trade routes from an Eastern source; often linked to Greek "Sēres," a name for a people of East Asia, though the chain is not fully settled.

Middle English "swownen," probably from Old English "geswōgen," meaning overcome or senseless.

Old French "tendre," from Latin "tener," soft, delicate, or young.

Middle English "trist," an appointed station in hunting, from Old French "triste," a waiting place. Later a private appointment between lovers.

From Old French "velu," shaggy, from Latin "villus," a tuft of hair. A woven fabric with a short dense pile.

Old English "hwisprian," of imitative origin — formed from the sound itself — and related to "hwistlian," to whistle.

Old English "giernan," to strive after or desire, from Proto-Germanic *gernjan.