Carnal knowledge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Carnal knowledge is an archaic or legal euphemism for sexual intercourse.
Though the term is still in use in some older statutes, the terms more likely to be used now are "sexual intercourse" or "sexual penetration".
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[edit] Etymology
The word "carnal" derives from latin carnalis, meaning "fleshly", and the word "knowledge" in this phrase derives from the "Biblical sense" of "to know", which means "to have sexual intercourse with". [1][2][3](See Genesis 19:4-8 (KJV) compared with 19:4-8 (NIV).)
[edit] Usage
In criminology, the phrase has had different meanings at different times and in different jurisdictions. While commonly a mere euphemism for sexual intercourse (not necessarily unlawful), different jurisdictions have defined carnal knowledge as a specific sex act such as contact between a penis and vagina, some laws elaborating this to include even "slight penile penetration of female genitalia". The definition sometimes includes a set of sex acts that include anal sex and/or oral sex, while some statutes specifically exclude such acts. The law may specify that the sex act must result in ejaculation, and/or orgasm.
Carnal knowledge has also sometimes meant sexual intercourse outside of marriage, and sometimes refers to sex with someone under the age of consent. The phrase is often found in this sense in modern legal usage, being equivalent to statutory rape in some jurisdictions, as the term "rape" implies lack of consent, and consent is considered irrelevant to such cases.
[edit] References
[edit] Further reading
- The F Word, by Jesse Sheidlower, Random House, 1999, ISBN 0-375-70634-8.
