French edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

Inherited from Old French putain, originally the oblique case of pute (dirty woman) formed with the suffix -ain, from Vulgar Latin pūtta, from Latin pūta (girl). Compare with salope, Italian puttana, Spanish puta.

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /py.tɛ̃/
  • (file)
  • (file)
  • (file)
  • Homophone: putains

Noun edit

putain f (plural putains)

  1. (vulgar) whore, hooker
    Synonym: pute
  2. (derogatory, vulgar, slang) bitch, cow (an unpleasant woman)
    Synonym: pute

Descendants edit

  • ? English: poontang, pootang

Interjection edit

putain

  1. (vulgar) fuck, fucking hell, bloody hell
    Synonyms: punaise, (euphemistic) purée

Derived terms edit

Further reading edit

Norman edit

Etymology edit

From Old French putain.

Noun edit

putain f (plural putains)

  1. (Jersey) whore
    Synonym: chèrch'rêsse

Old French edit

Etymology edit

From pute with the suffix -ain, -aine, or from Vulgar Latin pūtta/*pūttāna, from Latin pūta (girl).[1] Compare Old Occitan putan(a). Latin putta (prostitute) is attested in the sixth century (Gregory of Tours). The change of meaning from "girl" to "prostitute" is due to euphemism, a process that is well known to other periods and languages.[2]

Noun edit

putain oblique singularf (oblique plural putains, nominative singular pute, nominative plural putains)

  1. (vulgar) whore, prostitute, bitch

Descendants edit

References edit

  1. ^ Pianigiani, Ottorino (1907), “puttana”, in Vocabolario etimologico della lingua italiana (in Italian), Rome: Albrighi & Segati
  2. ^ “puttana” in: Alberto Nocentini, Alessandro Parenti, “l'Etimologico — Vocabolario della lingua italiana”, Le Monnier, 2010, →ISBN

Scottish Gaelic edit

Noun edit

putain m

  1. genitive singular of putan (button, key)

Mutation edit

Scottish Gaelic mutation
Radical Lenition
putain phutain
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Welsh edit

Etymology edit

From Old French putain, originally the oblique case of pute (dirty woman) formed with the suffix -ain, from Vulgar Latin putta, from Latin puta (girl). Cognate with French putain, Italian puttana.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

putain f (plural puteiniaid)

  1. prostitute, harlot, whore

Derived terms edit

Mutation edit

Welsh mutation
radical soft nasal aspirate
putain butain mhutain phutain
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.