Etymograph

English

prudery

Prudery comes from French pruderie.

  1. Frenchc. 1600–presentpruderie1
  2. Englishtodayprudery1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English prudery

Lineage

  1. Frenchc. 1600–presentpruderieWiktionary, English prudery
  2. EnglishtodaypruderyWiktionary, English prudery

Formed from prude + -ery

Latin sum ‘to be’

…

Latin prōdest ‘is useful’

Latin prōde ‘profitable, useful’

Old French prude

French prude

English prude

first attested First attested in 1709 (as stated in Wiktionary’s etymology)

The story

First attested in 1709. prude + -ery and from French pruderie.

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Every English word from French pruderie

Today it means

noun The condition of being prudish; prudishness

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “prudery”. 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 / French pruderie / prudery

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