Where does “prudish” come from?
prudish (English) comes from English prude, from French prude, from Old French prude, from Old French prou, from Vulgar Latin prode, from Latin prosum, from Latin prō-, from Proto-Italic *pro- — passed , crossed.
prudish (English): of excessive propriety; easily offended or...
Definitions
- of excessive propriety; easily offended or...
Ancestry of “prudish”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | prude | A person who is or tries to be excessively... |
| 2 | French | prude | prude |
| 3 | Old French | prude | feminine singular of pruz |
| 4 | Old French | prou | profit |
| 5 | Vulgar Latin | prode | useful; profitable, useful; second-person... |
| 6 | Latin | prosum | I am useful or of use, do good, help, benefit,... |
| 7 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |