Cuckoldry
/ˈkʌk.əld.ri/noun
The state or practice of being a cuckold; the condition of a married man whose spouse has been unfaithful.
Did you know?The insult ultimately comes from the cuckoo, a bird known for laying its eggs in other birds’ nests, which made it a perfect symbol of betrayal and sexual humiliation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ḱuk-
“An imitative root associated with the call of a cuckoo-like bird”
Latin
Latin
cuculus
“A cuckoo”
Old French
Old French
cucuault
“A cuckold; literally a cuckoo-like man”
Middle English
English
cokewold
“A cuckold, especially a man whose wife is unfaithful”
14th–15th Century
English
cuckoldry
“The condition or state of being a cuckold”
Modern English
English
cuckoldry
“The state of being a cuckold”