Etymograph

English

prostitution

Prostitution comes from Latin prōstituō ‘to prostitute’, from statuō ‘to erect’, and perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand (up)’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-1‘to stand (up)’uncertain
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*stéh₂-tu-s ~ *sth₂-téw-s1uncertain
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*status1‘setting up’uncertain
  4. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*statujō1uncertain
  5. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*statuō1‘to erect, set up’reconstructed
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstatuō1‘to erect’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōstituō2‘to prostitute’
  8. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEprostitutio3
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1838prostitution3

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin prostituo
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Latin prostitutio
  3. 3 Wiktionary, English prostitution
  4. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1838, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, London: Henry Colburn: “Sir Howard by his arts stole from them this…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-Wiktionary, Latin prostituo‘to stand (up)’uncertain
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*stéh₂-tu-s ~ *sth₂-téw-sWiktionary, Latin prostituouncertain
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*statusWiktionary, Latin prostituo‘setting up’uncertain
  4. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*statujōWiktionary, Latin prostituouncertain
  5. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*statuōWiktionary, Latin prostituo‘to erect, set up’reconstructed
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstatuōWiktionary, Latin prostituo‘to erect’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōstituōWiktionary, Latin prostitutio‘to prostitute’
  8. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEprostitutioWiktionary, English prostitution
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1838prostitutionWiktionary, English prostitution. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1838, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, London: Henry Colburn: “Sir Howard by his arts stole from them this…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand (up)’

system, stay, post, rest, stand, distance, assistant, stadium, assistance, instance, stood, establish, stable, assist, contest, consistent, instant, stem, substance, stability, distant, resist, destiny, insist, persistent, testimony, destination, static, consist, persist, stud, stool, stale, extant, stamina, stationary, distal, attest, stead, subsistence, 151 more

through Proto-Italic *status ‘setting up’

state, statuette, estado, 6 more

through Latin statuō ‘to erect’

institute, statue, constitution, substitute, institution, statute, constitute, constituent, substitution, destitute, restitution, destitution, 6 more

Today it means

noun Engaging in sexual activity with another person for pay.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “prostitution”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Latin prostituo, Latin prostitutio. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- / prostitution

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