The Etymology of the word 'Minx'

A photograph of  what had the original definition of a 'minx'

As time goes on and life develops along with things like technology and different ways of living, words develop too.

Etymology is the study of how certain word's meanings change over time. 

In the 1540's, a 'minx' was the noun for a little pet dog. As time has changed, so has the word 'minx'. The noun is now quite a derogatory term which could be used to describe a flirtatious, seductive woman or man (more commonly a woman). The development of the word stemmed from the German word 'minsk' which means an impudent man/woman. It also relates to the German word 'mensch' which is also used in a derogatory way and has synonyms of words such as 'slut'. 

Nowadays, the word 'minx' is generally used to describe a 'cheeky' or 'mischievous' person. 

It can also mean someone who is flirtatious, alluring, seductive and sexy. "She's such a saucy little minx."

Some words which are connotations of the word 'Minx' include:

- Sexy

- Slut

- Cheeky

- Whore

- Flirt

- Tart

- Tease

- Floozy

- Slag

Each of these words are fairly similar, yet can all be meant in a very different way. Some of these nouns are extremely offensive, whereas others are quite harmless and could even be seen by some people as a compliment. For instance, the words 'slut', 'whore', 'tart' and 'slag' are all offensive and derogatory ways of describing a woman. Each of these words have very similar definitions, generally meaning a woman who has sexual relations with a lot of men. 

If you look up these words on Urban Dictionary, these are some of the definitions that come up;

Slut - A derogatory term referring to a sexually promiscuous person, usually a female. It is one who engages in sexual activity with many people. Can also be used to refer to a woman who is wearing 'skimpy' or tasteless clothing. "That girl is such a slut, she has slept with every man in this room."

Whore - A woman who is paid for sexual services. "I hate her she is such a whore!"

Tart - A nubile young temptress, who dresses teasingly or provocatively. "The tarts usually hang around this street."

Slag - An individual who cares not for relationships beyond the realm of the sexual aspect, these people sleep with many partners not caring about anything except for the sexual side of it. "So your wife's been a nasty slag all along?"

Whereas words like 'sexy' and 'cheeky' are not so offensive, they are much more light and don't have such a harsh meaning. 

'Minx' is one of the less offensive out of the list. Generally used to mean cheeky and flirtatious, but it can be linked with other more derogatory terms which can lead people to believe that if someone is labelled as a 'minx' they are also worthy of being called a 'slag' and a 'slut' etc. 

So nowadays, the word 'minx' would rarely be used to describe some kind of pet animal. It is instead used as a term which describes woman who act in a certain flirtatious, seductive manner.