<p><strong>Etymology</strong></p>

<p>Etymologically speaking, the word takes its root from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_English" rel="noreferrer">Old English</a> lǣwede : <em>ignorant</em>, <em>unlearned</em>. </p>

<p>Then in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_English" rel="noreferrer">Middle English</a> it got transformed into leud/lewed (found those two ways to write it): <em>belonging to the common people, vulgar</em>.</p>

<p>It then derived into the mean <em>worthless, vile, evil</em>, leading to its current usage and connotations.</p>

<hr>

<p><strong>Meaning</strong></p>

<p>Even thought there are a lot of slightly different definitions of the word <em>lewd</em>, I decided to provide the <a href="http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/lewd" rel="noreferrer">KnowYourMeme</a>'s definition because it does correspond to the <em>meme</em> definition and not the <em>word</em> definition :</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Lewd is an adjective often used to describe something of erotic nature, or otherwise obscene or indecent. It is generally being used to represent the reaction of a character who is ingenuous or timid. </p>
</blockquote>

<hr>

<p><strong>Origin</strong></p>

<p>The first known <strong>meme</strong> use of this word is, like a lot of <em>Western</em> memes, on 4chan in 2008. </p>

<p>On the chans <strong>/jp</strong> and <strong>/a</strong> (Respectively the Japanese Culture and Anime &amp; Manga 4chan communities), the word was used in several conversations. </p>

<p>In 2008, the chan <strong>/jp</strong> was created in order to split general Japanese Culture from <strong>/a</strong> which then became the Otaku board. </p>

<p>On <strong>/jp</strong>, the meme was associated with pictures of <a href="http://wiki.touhou.net/wiki/Eiki_Shiki,_Yamaxanadu" rel="noreferrer">Eiki Shiki</a> from Touhou in order to criticize lewd anime content which was judged as "not suitable" for the board.</p>

<p>The post on November 19th, 2008 that most likely created this meme, according to <a href="http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/lewd" rel="noreferrer">KnowYourMeme</a>, is this comic and its reaction : </p>

<p>The comic:</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/OhikY.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/OhikY.jpg" alt="too lewd comic"></a></p>

<p>The reaction:</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/rVxkS.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/rVxkS.jpg" alt="too lewd reaction"></a></p>

<hr>

<p><strong>Other details</strong></p>

<p>Google Trends</p>

<p>According to <a href="https://www.google.fr/trends/explore#q=lewd&amp;cmpt=q&amp;tz=Etc%2FGMT-2" rel="noreferrer">Google Trends</a>, the peak of research of the word <em>lewd</em> is in 2011. I didn't find any rationnal explanation; I will edit the post to add things if I find anything interesting. </p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/JVXLh.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/JVXLh.png" alt="lewd stats"></a></p>

<p>Lewd <em><sub>but I approve</sub></em></p>

<p>A trend emerged from the meme <em>lewd</em>, to express the fact that a user finds the below content lewd but still approves of the content. It is presented the same way as the <em>lewd</em> meme, but on the pancart there is written: Lewd <sub>but I approve</sub></p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/z0rNZ.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/z0rNZ.png" alt="Lewd but I approve"></a></p>

<p>Bonus: Gardevoir</p>

<p>The pokemon <a href="http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Gardevoir_%28Pok%C3%A9mon%29" rel="noreferrer">Gardevoir</a> has became a meme because of the feminized look it has. The meme is used at different ways (Tsundere Gardevoir, Shy Gardevoir, Totally NSFW Gardevoir). A <em>lewd version</em> of Gardevoir frequently used on 4chan :</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/A8kF3.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/A8kF3.jpg" alt="lewd gardevoir"></a></p>

<hr>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-02T17:28:53.467Z
2015-10-03T01:57:33.873Z
2015-10-03T01:57:33.873Z
Ikaros
<p>Occasionally someone posts a ecchi/H picture <em>on the internet</em> and users reply with a prudish anime/manga girl with a sign saying 'LEWD'.</p>

<p>Definition of Lewd:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>crude and offensive in a sexual way.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Where does this meme originate? what was the original <em>lewd</em> picture?</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/8gQI6m.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/8gQI6m.png" alt="enter image description here"></a>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/2PeMcm.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/2PeMcm.png" alt="enter image description here"></a>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/MKMpFm.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/MKMpFm.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/yICNQm.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/yICNQm.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-02T08:48:24.350Z
[KnowYourMeme](http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/lewd) is always great for meme origin questions :D
Ikaros
<meme>
Where does the 'lewd' meme come from?
# Where does the 'lewd' meme come from?
Posted by: username_0 on 2015-10-02
Occasionally someone posts a ecchi/H picture *on the internet* and users reply with a prudish anime/manga girl with a sign saying 'LEWD'.

Definition of Lewd:

> crude and offensive in a sexual way.

Where does this meme originate? what was the original *lewd* picture?

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/8gQI6m.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/8gQI6m.png)
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/2PeMcm.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/2PeMcm.png)
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/MKMpFm.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/MKMpFm.jpg)
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/yICNQm.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/yICNQm.png)
**Tags:** meme
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: [KnowYourMeme](http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/lewd) is always great for meme origin questions :D  
---
## 1 answers
### Answer by username_1 on 2015-10-02. Score: 16 | Accepted answer
**Etymology**

Etymologically speaking, the word takes its root from the [Old English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_English) lǣwede : *ignorant*, *unlearned*.

Then in the [Middle English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_English) it got transformed into leud/lewed (found those two ways to write it): *belonging to the common people, vulgar*.

It then derived into the mean *worthless, vile, evil*, leading to its current usage and connotations.

---

**Meaning**

Even thought there are a lot of slightly different definitions of the word *lewd*, I decided to provide the [KnowYourMeme](http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/lewd)'s definition because it does correspond to the *meme* definition and not the *word* definition :

> Lewd is an adjective often used to describe something of erotic nature, or otherwise obscene or indecent. It is generally being used to represent the reaction of a character who is ingenuous or timid.

---

**Origin**

The first known **meme** use of this word is, like a lot of *Western* memes, on 4chan in 2008.

On the chans **/jp** and **/a** (Respectively the Japanese Culture and Anime & Manga 4chan communities), the word was used in several conversations.

In 2008, the chan **/jp** was created in order to split general Japanese Culture from **/a** which then became the Otaku board.

On **/jp**, the meme was associated with pictures of [Eiki Shiki](http://wiki.touhou.net/wiki/Eiki_Shiki,_Yamaxanadu) from Touhou in order to criticize lewd anime content which was judged as "not suitable" for the board.

The post on November 19th, 2008 that most likely created this meme, according to [KnowYourMeme](http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/lewd), is this comic and its reaction :

The comic:

[![too lewd comic](https://i.sstatic.net/OhikY.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/OhikY.jpg)

The reaction:

[![too lewd reaction](https://i.sstatic.net/rVxkS.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/rVxkS.jpg)

---

**Other details**

Google Trends

According to [Google Trends](https://www.google.fr/trends/explore#q=lewd&cmpt=q&tz=Etc%2FGMT-2), the peak of research of the word *lewd* is in 2011. I didn't find any rationnal explanation; I will edit the post to add things if I find anything interesting.

[![lewd stats](https://i.sstatic.net/JVXLh.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/JVXLh.png)

Lewd *but I approve*

A trend emerged from the meme *lewd*, to express the fact that a user finds the below content lewd but still approves of the content. It is presented the same way as the *lewd* meme, but on the pancart there is written: Lewd but I approve

[![Lewd but I approve](https://i.sstatic.net/z0rNZ.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/z0rNZ.png)

Bonus: Gardevoir

The pokemon [Gardevoir](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Gardevoir_%28Pok%C3%A9mon%29) has became a meme because of the feminized look it has. The meme is used at different ways (Tsundere Gardevoir, Shy Gardevoir, Totally NSFW Gardevoir). A *lewd version* of Gardevoir frequently used on 4chan :

[![lewd gardevoir](https://i.sstatic.net/A8kF3.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/A8kF3.jpg)

---
---
