Where does “whore” come from?

Whore comes from Middle English hore, from Middle English her, from Old English hǣr, from Proto-Indo-European kāro-, ultimately deriving from the root (s)ker- meaning to cut or scrape.

whore (English): Synonym of prostitute: a person who offers...

Definitions

  1. Synonym of prostitute: a person who offers...

Ancestry of “whore”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishhoreA whore; A people who are morally transgressive;...
2Old Englishhōrewhore
3Proto-Germanichōrǭwhore, adulteress
4Proto-Indo-Europeankéh₂rosloved; dear
5Proto-Indo-Europeankeh₂-to desire, wish

Words derived from “whore”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European keh₂- →