putain French · revision 16456

+ {{infobox|confidence=disputed|formation=derivation|attested=1121–1134, Philippe de Thaon|origins=la pūtidus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /py.tɛ̃/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''putain''' ''f'' (plural putains)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|fr|pute|-ain]]: the Old French oblique case of “pute”, formed like [[nonnain]] beside “nonne”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005) “Pute” was the feminine of the Old French adjective [[m|fro|put|t=stinking; foul, vile, wicked]], common until the 15th century, [[inh|la|pūtidus|t=rotten, stinking]], from [[m|la|pūteō|t=to rot, stink]], the source of [[puer]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(GLLF 1989)^(FEW|9, 635a) In the dialects of eastern France “put” still means “ugly”.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Old Occitan had “put” “bad, debauched” and the feminines “puta” and “putana”, the source of [[it|puttana]] and [[es|puta]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ Wiktionary and Meyer-Lübke instead connect it with a [[la-vul|*pūtta|t=girl]], seen in [[roa-oit|putta|t=girl]], from [[la|pūtus|t=boy, child]], Etymonline weighs both explanations.^(Wiktionary)^(REW 1935)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Philippe de Thaon's ''Bestiaire'' (1121–1134) uses it for a woman of loose life.^(TLFi)^(AND) A 12th-century life of Thomas Becket has ''E guarçuns e putains unt saint Thomas hué'' (“and knaves and whores jeered at Saint Thomas”).^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Dame putain'' is an insult to a debauched woman in 1278, and ''filz a putain'' is found in 1155.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) About the 16th century the word became coarse and insulting: Furetière noted in 1690 that there had been a time when it was not odious, but that it was now used only by common people for a gross insult.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Flaubert (1853) uses it as an adjective for someone who tries to please everybody.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) ''Putain de'' before a noun, expressing contempt or exasperation, is found in the Goncourts in 1863 according to the TLFi, in Giono in 1929 according to Rey, and the interjection ''putain !'' in Mac Orlan in 1931.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The exclamation is especially frequent in the French of the Midi, as ''putain con !''.^(DHLF 1992) English ''poontang'' (about 1910) may come from it through New Orleans Creole.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1121–1134 – In Philippe de Thaon's ''Bestiaire''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1155 – ''Filz a putain''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1278 – ''Dame putain'', an insult.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1584 – The derivative ''putanisme''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1690 – Furetière notes that the word has become coarse.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1853 – Adjective, “eager to please everyone”, in Flaubert.^(TLFi)

+ * 1931 – The interjection, in Mac Orlan.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(vulgar)'' A [[m|en|prostitute]], a whore.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # ''(vulgar, insulting)'' A promiscuous woman, ''fils de putain'', an insult.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # ''(familiar)'' A person who tries to please everybody: ''faire la putain''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(vulgar)'' ''Putain de'' + noun: damned, bloody: ''ce putain de bus est en retard''.^(Larousse)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ===Interjection===

+ # ''(vulgar)'' Expressing surprise, anger or admiration: ''putain !''.^(Larousse)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # ''(familiar, dated)'' Eager to please everyone: ''très putain''.^(Larousse)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[putanisme]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[pute]]

+ * [[puer]]

+ * [[la|pūtidus]]

+ * [[en|poontang]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ In print it is sometimes written ''p…'' to soften it.^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}