I had allways assumed that it came from cat, as it is stroked and petted. Old Norse "Puss" = pocket. Old Saxon "Puse = vulva and Old English "Pusa"= bag.. Medieval French for a virgin or teenage girl was "Pucelle". I really like a Latin version "Pusillanimous" which in its true meaning is" tiny spirit". This has been twisted to used as cowardly/ lacking in courage.
Gentle giant wrote:
I had allways assumed that it came from cat, as it is stroked and petted. Old Norse "Puss" = pocket. Old Saxon "Puse = vulva and Old English "Pusa"= bag.. Medieval French for a virgin or teenage girl was "Pucelle". I really like a Latin version "Pusillanimous" which in its true meaning is" tiny spirit". This has been twisted to used as cowardly/ lacking in courage.
Very interesing!
As a bit of a cat enthusiast, it's interesting to note that cats and women have long been linked - from the Egyptian goddess Bastet and hieroglyphs where cats were often shown sitting beneath the chairs of women, through witches and their cats, to today's crazy cat ladies! So I wonder if there's a bit of that in there too.
That's really interesting! I use the word puss sometimes, I think pussy sounds a bit vulgar, but it makes much more sense now you've discovered the origins.
I think Alice is pretty spot on too. Female cats are called Queens, dating back from native Egyptian times, they were held in such a high regard. So maybe pussy is quite a flattering word after all?!
Look at the forum becoming all educational and historical!!!
Lovehoney - Stephanie wrote:
That must be where the word 'purse' comes from too then I guess? Interesting, thanks GG!
Hi Stephanie, yes spot on, then it moves on to a mermaids purse with a pearl in it.
Ooh - interesting! I like 'tiny spirit' - that's cute!
its really cute.
Very interesting read thanks.
Knowledge is power haha , nice bit of copy and paste there , I thought it originated from the bond girl pussy galore , as sean connery famously declared “I must be dreaming “
Wasn't Shaw I wanted to post this bit. The c word derived from kunte in old norse. Turned in middle English to mean prostitute and long before Soho their was an area in London called I kid you not" C#*grope lane".