In the mid 19th century, the world bore witness to the creation of what became, if you'll excuse the wildly inventive play on words, the seeds for this very foundation. However the word JISM when first used in America, its country of origin, it had quite a different meaning: energy! Theoretically one would be filled with jism following a hearty meal, or a lime cordial! However by the turn of the century the meaning had shifted, albeit in an intriguing way. There does seem to be a certain logic in the leap from jism as energy to jism as semen, the idea, perhaps, that jism is the very energy that producses life, or that it is in some way a concentration of carnal energy, an almost tantric possibility!
However the word never claimed a strong sense of popularity. Instead it remained on the sidelines, which in many ways gave it an almost underdog quality, no doubt leading to its appeal to beat poets and those already marginalised by society. I soon hope to place a list of literary figures who have used the word, namely William Burroughs and Kurt Vonnigut Jr, and perhaps other more contemporary uses, most recently in the semi-popular sit-com Game On.