Science Forums 2

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A woman can't doubt the baby being her own, a man can. It's obvious.

The whole thing is obvious, it is deeply rooted in psychology and instinct and has almost always played its role in social custom. There's less need for it currently, to guarantee paternity, but instincts are instincts. Woman's jealousy is strong too, but it evolved for a different purpose: she can't quite face it all alone, once pregnant, so she needs to first be sure he isn't hit and run.

Originally Posted by CraigD

The etymology of the words offers a good starting place.

Especially if you get it right:

Originally Posted by CraigD

“Virgin” comes fairly clearly and obviously from an ancient Greek word “virgo”, meaning simply “young woman”, that is, a female older than a “child” but not yet fully mature.

No, from the Latin words virginem and virgo, of disputed origin but which apparently meant mature, lush, strong and robust, turgid and even related to the Greek οργασμός (orgasmos) for exuberance of force, energy and juice. The meaning was basically a young woman mature and ready for marriage. This implied not yet married and hence pristine (at least officially) and is often thus used in Latin.

Originally Posted by CraigD

The earliest concepts of virginity appear to apply only to females, but at least 2000 years ago, it was being applied to males. Ca. 95 AD, John of Patmos (AKA John the Divine) wrote in Greek in the Book of Revelation a reference to males “These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins.”

The exact word that Greek guy wrote was παρθένοι, root form παρθένος (parthenos) which basically meant new, but often used about people in the sense of virgin as meant currently, which is how it was translated into the Latin version (virgines enim sunt).