Catamighty (champagnesheik) wrote in linguaphiles,
Catamighty
champagnesheik
linguaphiles

Semantics of virginity

My friend asked me a question about the semantics of virginity that got me wondering. How common is it for a language to refer to virginity as something that is lost? It makes sense for expressions related to virginity to be inherently negative, since it in some sense involves a loss (of blood or innocence) Similarly you also see it related to taking ("deflowering") and breaking ("popping the cherry"), at least in English, and the Romance languages I know also refer to loss. I was trying to think of a more positive-leaning expression, but all I could come up with was "become a man/woman." However, that's not only associated with virginity since it often refers to acquiring broader social roles and responsibilities.

How do other languages do it (pun intended)?
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