pucele

Old French

Etymology

First attested in the 10th century as pulcella, from Vulgar Latin *pūllicella, of disputed origin. Possibly a diminutive of Latin pullus (“young of animals, chick”), or pullus as a contraction of *purulus, from purus (“pure”). Alternatively from Latin puella (“girl”) through a Vulgar Latin root *puellicella.

Noun

pucele oblique singular, f (oblique plural puceles, nominative singular pucele, nominative plural puceles)

1. a young, unmarried woman
   • 12th or 13th century, Marie de France, Lanval:

     Le chevaler avant ala, e la pucele l'apela

     The knight went onwards, and the young girl called to him

2. (by extension) a virgin

Descendants

• Middle French: pucelle
  • French: pucelle
• → English: pucelle
• → Italian: pulzella
• → Yiddish: פּילצל (piltsl)

References

• Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l’ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IX^e au XV^e siècle (1881) (pucele, supplement)
• pucele on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub