subject: Etymology -Penis- [print this page] Etymology -Penis- Etymology -Penis-
Etymology -Penis-
The word "penis" is taken from the Latin word for "tail." Some derive that from Indo-European pesnis, and the Greek word = "penis" from Indo-European pesos. Prior to the adoption of the Latin word in English the penis was referred to as a "yard". The Oxford English Dictionary cites an example of the word yard used in this sense from 1379, and notes that in his Physical Dictionary of 1684, Steven Blankaart defined the word penis as "the Yard, made up of two nervous Bodies, the Channel, Nut, Skin, and Fore-skin, etc." The Latin word "phallus" (from Greek ) is sometimes used to describe the penis, although "phallus" originally was used to describe images, pictorial or carved, of the penis.
The adjectival form of the word penis is penile. This adjective is commonly used in describing the male copulatory organ's various accessory structures that are commonly found in many kinds of invertebrate animals.
As with nearly any aspect of the human body that is involved in sexual or excretory functions, the word penis is considered humorous from a juvenile perspective, and there are many slang words and euphemisms for the penis.
Penile growth and puberty
On entering puberty, the penis, scrotum and testicles will begin to develop. During the process, pubic hair grows above and around the penis. A large-scale study assessing penis size in thousands of 1719 year old males found no difference in average penis size between 17 year olds and 19 year olds. From this, it can be concluded that penile growth is typically complete not later than age 17, and possibly earlier.
Normal variations
Pearly penile papules are raised bumps of somewhat paler color around the base of the glans and are normal.
Fordyce's spots are small, raised, yellowish-white spots 12mm in diameter that may appear on the penis.
Sebaceous prominences are raised bumps similar to Fordyce's spots on the shaft of the penis, located at the sebaceous glands and are normal.
Phimosis is an inability to retract the foreskin fully, is harmless in infancy and pre-pubescence, occurring in about 8% of boys at age 10. According to the British Medical Association, treatment (steroid cream, manual stretching) does not need to be considered until age 19.
Curvature: few penises are completely straight, with curves commonly seen in all directions (up, down, left, right). Sometimes the curve is very prominent but it rarely inhibits sexual intercourse. Curvature as great as 30 is considered normal and medical treatment is rarely considered unless the angle exceeds 45. Changes to the curvature of a penis may be caused by Peyronie's disease.
