Whore
/hɔːr/noun
A person, usually a woman, who engages in sex in exchange for payment.
Did you know?Its deepest root is Proto-Indo-European *keh₂ro- meaning “beloved, dear,” a reminder that words for desire can harden into shame over time.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*keh₂ro-
“dear, beloved”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*hōrō
“a woman, later specifically a prostitute”
Old English
OE
hōre
“a prostitute; also an adulteress”
Middle English
ME
whore
“a prostitute; a sexually immoral woman”
Modern English
English
whore
“a prostitute; used as a strong insult”