Pudendum
/pjuːˈdɛn.dəm/noun
A formal anatomical term for the external genitalia, especially in medical Latin contexts.
Did you know?Pudendum comes from Latin *pudere* (“to be ashamed”), and its root also gave English words like *impudent* and *repudiate*, showing how shame and refusal were once tied together in language.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peu̯-
“to be ashamed, feel shame”
Latin
Latin
pudere
“to cause shame; to be ashamed”
Latin
Latin
pudendus
“to be ashamed of; shameful, modest”
Late Latin
Latin
pudendum
“that which is shameful or to be hidden”
Modern English
English
pudendum
“a formal term for the external genitalia”