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pudicus

Etymology and origin of the Latin word pudicus

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (pudet)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [pʊˈdiː.kʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [puˈdiː.kus][1]

Forms

pudīcus (feminine pudīca, neuter pudīcum, comparative pudīcior, superlative pudīcissimus, adverb pudīcē); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from pudeō, pudet “it shames”, with the suffix -īcus.[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of sexual purity.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant sexually pure, chaste, and also, without reference to sex, having a sense of decency, honourable, both in Plautus.[2] Lewis & Short give shamefaced, bashful, modest.[4] Propertius and Ovid use it of what is pure, blameless.[5]

British Medieval Latin used it for chaste, decent, modest.[6] It survives in Italian pudico and French pudique, and English used pudic in the sense “modest” from the late 14th century.[1][7]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.[2][3]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of chaste people.[5][3]
  • late 14th century – English pudic is recorded, “modest”.[7]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Chaste, sexually pure.[2]
  2. Modest, decent, honourable.[2][4]

Word family

  • dēpudīcō
  • impudīcus
  • pudīcitia
  • pudīcē
  • pudēfactus
  • pudendus
  • pudēns
  • pudenter
  • pudescit
  • pudet
  • pudibilis
  • pudibundus
  • pudor
  • pudōrātus
  • English pudic

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Pudicus.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/pudicus. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·