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Background:
Sexuality-related vocabulary has been obtained during the training sessions of sexual counselling and safe sex in the years of 1998-2003.
Small groups of 3-4 participants were given the task to write down as many synonyms as they knew (common words, neologisms, archaisms, pet names, medical expressions, scientific expressions, nursery language and also the so-called obscene words).
If a counsellor only uses medical expressions, it does not always enhance mutual understanding with the counselee, therefore the synonym-finding task is an inseparable part of relevant training sessions.
Results:
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Male genitalia |
Female genitalia |
Sexual intercourse |
Total |
| Number of synonyms |
235 |
203 |
241 |
679 |
| Positive, interesting or joyful |
55 |
33 |
73 |
161 |
| Negative |
11 |
26 |
20 |
57 |
| Nursery language |
6 |
4 |
- |
10 |
| Medical, scientific |
14 |
26 |
13 |
43 |
| Flora, fauna and edible things |
26 |
35 |
- |
61 |
| Others |
123 |
82 |
135 |
340 |
The number of sexuality-related synonyms, 697, shows the abundance of our language but the figure is still only half as much as that in the respective Finnish collection "Tulppaani Sademetsässä" Sexpo, 1998, Helsinki (vocabulary collected during 10 years).
The categories presented in the table above are only preliminary and not final. It seems, however, that male genitalia carry a more positive message than female ones which are given less synonyms that, at the same time, are more negative and more medical.
We continue to collect new vocabulary and therefore all those participating in the conference are welcome to supplement the lists on the poster. It is also possible to e-mail us new synonyms.
Ester Väljaots, ester@ego-koolitus.ee
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