Who created the term asexual?

[Star Bit]

The only thing i can find is that according to dictionaries the term was crested in the 1930s. I can't find who created it or even who discovered asexual reproduction. Just wondering if the term was originally created to refer to a type of reproduction or not.

[Phantasmal Fingers]

I invented it for myself in 1983.

[CheekyStoat]

http://www.asexualexplorations.net/home/history_of_definition.html

[Bezzy-Loo]

Pretty sure it was originally coined as a biological term for a form of reproduction, yes. Probably the sort of thing that requires a book rather than the open internet, though.

[Star Bit]

http://www.asexualexplorations.net/home/history_of_definition.html

That's the history of AVEN, not the word asexual.

Pretty sure it was originally coined as a biological term for a form of reproduction, yes. Probably the sort of thing that requires a book rather than the open internet, though.

But then why didn't they just say non-sexual? It sounds way more self explanatory; sexual and non-sexual reproduction.

[loomborn]

Most probably a lot of people in different points of history came up with the same world separately. It's like asking who discovered America.

[Guest]

The "a" literally means "without" so it was a shorter term for saying "reproduction without sex" :3

[Salted Karamel]

According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, via dictionary.com:

Word Origin and History for asexualExpand

adj.

1830, as a term in biology, a hybrid from a- (2) "not"+ sexual. In general contexts, attested from 1896.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

And I would imagine they didn't go with "non-sexual" because that wouldn't be the proper way to say it in Latin, which is generally what's proper for medical terms.

[cavalier080854]

I went to the British Library in 1976 and laid my hands on a first edition dictionary from 1830 and read both of the present day definitions of asexual. For it to be in that, there must have been earlier references however trivial to warrant the human asexuality to be included. It felt good to find our ancesters knew about us. I was dismayed about finding nothing in the 70's about us and felt and was very lonely. Where to find another? Looking for a needle in a haystack would be easier. I had to wait till 1998 to met another asexual for the first time, not only one but 5 others. The relief was tremendous for all of us. I have never spoken so fast in my life as did everyone else, the loneliness was over, a new chapter began with us e-mailing ever since and later, using video conferencing to see each other every month. Better and easier than trying to meet physically. Though we do meet when we can find a time for all, and we do prefer this to video calls.

[One Winged Angel]

The earliest piece of literature I have read which uses the term "Asexual" for the orientation is The Satanic Bible (Anton Szandor LaVey), which came out in 1969. This was actually my first insight into the idea of Asexuality, but it wasn't until discovering AVEN that I really understood just how much it described me.

The term was clearly in use much earlier than this for LaVey to use it in what is essentially it's 'present day' definition.

I might have a look further into this, as the origin of words is quite interesting to me.

[Nidwin]

Most probably a lot of people in different points of history came up with the same world separately. It's like asking who discovered America.

TEACHER: Maria, go to the map and find North America.

MARIA: Here it is.

TEACHER: Correct. Now class, who discovered America?

CLASS: Maria.

Fixed !

You're welcome

[Star Bit]

So from 1896 people used asexual in normal conversation to mean non-sexual? (e.g. non-sexual hug)