I know what masochism means; the OED's definition is "the urge to derive pleasure, especially sexual gratification, from one's own pain or humiliation." But, again, I've wondered who came up with such a word. According to the OED, Leopold von Sacher-Masoch was an Austrian fiction writer in the late 19th century whose stories often involve "sexual pleasure derived from pain." The French masochisme started to come into use in 1896, shortly after Leopold's time.
Ok, so masochism is termed from the author, but what about sadism? Again, I know the definition, but for convenience, the OED's definition is "enthusiasm for inflicting pain, suffering, or humiliation on others." Also according to tho OED, this term is also from an author. This time it's French writer Count Donatien Alfonse Francois de Sade whose works--similar to Sacher-Masoch--were "infamous for their depictions of sexual cruelty."
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