Etymology, Origin And Meaning Of Prostitute By Etymonline

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Origin and history of prostitute

prostitute(v.)

1520s, "to offer to indiscriminate sexual intercourse" (usually in exchange for money), from Latin prostitutus, past participle of prostituere, etymologically "place before or in front," hence "expose publicly," and especially "expose to prostitution."

This is from pro "before" (see pro-) + statuere "cause to stand, establish" (from PIE root *sta- "to stand, make or be firm"). Related: Prostituted; prostituting. Figurative sense of "surrender to any vile or infamous purpose" (of abilities, etc.) is implied from 1570s.

also from 1520s

prostitute(n.)

"harlot, woman who offers her body indiscriminately" (usually for money), 1610s, from Latin prostituta "prostitute," fem. of prostitutus "exposed publicly," adjectival use of past participle of prostituere "expose to prostitution; expose publicly" (see prostitute (v.)). No distinction in the use of the word was made between women who did so to gratify themselves, those who did so out of necessity, or those who were forced unwillingly to it.

It was somewhat earlier used in English as an adjective, "offered or exposed to lust" (1570s), earlier still in the figurative sense of "debased, devoted to vile or infamous purposes" (1560s).

The notion of "sex for hire" is not inherent in the etymology, which rather suggests one "exposed to lust" (by herself or another) or sex "indiscriminately offered." Descendants of the Latin word are now almost the official European term for the institution: German prostituierte, Russian prostitutka, etc.

Of men, in reference to homosexual acts, by 1886 (implied in a use of prostitution); the phrase male prostitute is attested by 1948. A Latin term for "male prostitute" was spintria, from the source of sphincter; hence Ben Jonson's spintry.

also from 1610s

Entries linking to prostitute

prostitution(n.)

1530s, "act or practice of offering the body to indiscrimninate sexual intercourse for hire," from French prostitution and directly from Late Latin prostitutionem (nominative prostitutio) "prostitution," noun of action from past-participle stem of prostituere "to expose publicly to prostitution" (see prostitute (v.)). Figuratively (of abilities, etc.), "act of devoting or offering to a base or infamous use," by 1640s.

whore(n.)

"woman who prostitutes her body for hire," also "adulteress" and a general insult, 1530s, a spelling alteration (see wh-) of Middle English hore, from Old English hore "prostitute, harlot." The wh- form became current in 16c.

This is reconstructed to be from Proto-Germanic *hōran-, fem. *hōrā- (source also of Old Frisian hor "fornication," Old Norse hora "adulteress," Danish hore, Swedish hora, Dutch hoer, Old High German huora "prostitute;" in Gothic only in the masc. hors "adulterer, fornicator," also as a verb, horinon "commit adultery"). It is considered to be, probably, etymologically, "one who desires," from PIE root *ka- "to like, desire," which in other languages has produced words for "lover; friend."

Whore itself is perhaps a Germanic euphemism for a word that has not survived. The Old English vowel naturally would have yielded *hoor, which is the pronunciation in some dialects; it might have shifted by influence of Middle English homonym hore "physical filth, slime," also "moral corruption, sin," from Old English horh.

A general term of abuse for an unchaste or lewd woman (without regard to money) from at least c. 1200. Of male prostitutes from 1630s. Whore of Babylon is from Revelation xvii.1, 5, etc. In Middle English with occasional plural forms horen, heoranna.

The word, with its derivatives, is now avoided polite speech; its survival in literature, so as it survives, is due to the fact that it is a favorite word with Shakspere (who uses it, with its derivatives, 99 times) and is common in the authorized English version of the Bible ... though the American revisers recommended the substitution of harlot as less gross .... [Century Dictionary, 1891]

According to Buck (Dictionary of Selected Synonyms in the Principal Indo-European Languages), some equivalent words also derive from sources not originally pejorative, such as Bohemian nevestka, diminutive of nevesta "bride;" Dutch deern, German dirne originally "girl, lass, wench;" also perhaps Old French pute, perhaps literally "girl," fem. of Vulgar Latin *puttus (but perhaps rather from Latin putidus "stinking;" see poontang). Welsh putain "whore" is from French, probably via Middle English.

Among other languages, Greek porne "prostitute" is related to pernemi "sell," with an original notion probably of a female slave sold for prostitution; Latin meretrix is literally "one who earns wages" (source of Irish mertrech, Old English miltestre "whore, prostitute").

The vulgar Roman word was scortum, literally "skin, hide." Another term was lupa, literally "she-wolf" (preserved in Spanish loba, Italian lupa, French louve; see wolf (n.)). And of course there was prostituta, literally "placed in front," thus "publicly exposed," from the fem. past participle of prostituere (see prostitute (n.)).

Another Old Norse term was skækja, which yielded Danish skøge, Swedish sköka; probably from Middle Low German schoke, which is perhaps from schode "foreskin of a horse's penis," perhaps with the sense of "skin" (compare Latin scortum) or perhaps via an intermediary sense of "vagina."

Spanish ramera, Portuguese rameira are from fem. form of ramero "young bird of prey," literally "little branch," from ramo "branch." Breton gast is cognate with Welsh gast "bitch," of uncertain origin. Compare also strumpet, harlot.

Old Church Slavonic ljubodejica is from ljuby dejati "fornicate," a compound from ljuby "love" + dejati "put, perform." Russian bljad "whore" derives from Old Church Slavonic bladinica, from bladu "fornication." Polish nierządnica is literally "disorderly woman." Sanskrit vecya is a derivation of veca- "house, dwelling," especially "house of ill-repute, brothel." Another term, pumccali, means literally "one who runs after men." Avestan jahika is literally "woman," but only of evil creatures; another term is kunairi, from pejorative prefix ku- + nairi "woman."

• pro-
• *sta-
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‘cite’Page URL:https://www.etymonline.com/word/prostituteCopyHTML Link:<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/prostitute">Etymology of prostitute by etymonline</a>CopyAPA Style:Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of prostitute. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved February 9, 2026, from https://www.etymonline.com/word/prostituteCopyChicago Style:Harper Douglas, "Etymology of prostitute," Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed February 9, 2026, https://www.etymonline.com/word/prostitute.CopyMLA Style:Harper, Douglas. "Etymology of prostitute." Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/prostitute. Accessed 9 February, 2026.CopyIEEE Style:D. Harper. "Etymology of prostitute." Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/prostitute (accessed February 9, 2026).CopyRemove AdsAdvertisement

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