“material object regarded with awe as having mysterious powers or being the representative of a deity that may be worshipped through it,” 1610s, fatisso, from Portuguese feitiço “charm, sorcery, allurement,” noun use of an adjective meaning “artificial.”
which eventually morphed into:
Figurative sense of “something irrationally revered, object of blind devotion” appears to be an extension made by the New England Transcendentalists (1837). For sexual sense (1897), see fetishism.
Which…checks out in terms of our current understandings of the word. (But still is used as an object in magic in other circles). Which, if referring to a foot as an object of obsession…definitely “more” valid than saying “furry fetish” which is more of a “kink”.
In the sexual sense a fetish is delineated from a kink in that with a fetish it’s often considered necessary for attraction/sexual satisfaction to the haver. So strictly a person with a sadomasochism fetish can’t get off without receiving or administering pain, whereas a person with a sadomasochism kink will sexually enjoy it, but can also get off from vanilla sex.
But they’re often used interchangeably. Also within bdsm kinks can be nonsexual, with some folks not getting off on it, but still enjoying it.
Going to acktually on you here but…
It began as:
“material object regarded with awe as having mysterious powers or being the representative of a deity that may be worshipped through it,” 1610s, fatisso, from Portuguese feitiço “charm, sorcery, allurement,” noun use of an adjective meaning “artificial.”
which eventually morphed into:
Figurative sense of “something irrationally revered, object of blind devotion” appears to be an extension made by the New England Transcendentalists (1837). For sexual sense (1897), see fetishism.
Which…checks out in terms of our current understandings of the word. (But still is used as an object in magic in other circles). Which, if referring to a foot as an object of obsession…definitely “more” valid than saying “furry fetish” which is more of a “kink”.
In the sexual sense a fetish is delineated from a kink in that with a fetish it’s often considered necessary for attraction/sexual satisfaction to the haver. So strictly a person with a sadomasochism fetish can’t get off without receiving or administering pain, whereas a person with a sadomasochism kink will sexually enjoy it, but can also get off from vanilla sex.
But they’re often used interchangeably. Also within bdsm kinks can be nonsexual, with some folks not getting off on it, but still enjoying it.