harlot

harlot
harlot (n.) c.1200 (late 12c. in surnames), "vagabond, man of no fixed occupation, idle rogue," from O.Fr. herlot, arlot "vagabond, tramp" (usually male in Middle English and Old French), with forms in Old Provençal (arlot), Old Spanish (arlote), and Italian (arlotto); of unknown origin. Used in both positive and pejorative senses by Chaucer; applied in Middle English to jesters, buffoons, jugglers, later to actors. Sense of "prostitute, unchaste woman" probably had developed by 14c., certainly by early 15c., but this was reinforced by use as euphemism for "strumpet, whore" in 16c. translations of the Bible. The word may be Germanic, with an original sense of "camp follower," if the first element is hari "army," as some suspect.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Harlot — durante un concierto en 2007 Datos generales Nombre real Víctor de la Mata Pacheco …   Wikipedia Español

  • Harlot — Har lot ( l[o^]t), n. [OE. harlot, herlot, a vagabond, OF. harlot, herlot, arlot; cf. Pr. arlot, Sp. arlote, It. arlotto; of uncertain origin.] 1. A churl; a common man; a person, male or female, of low birth. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] He was a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Harlot — Har lot, v. i. To play the harlot; to practice lewdness. Milton. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Harlot — Har lot, a. Wanton; lewd; low; base. Shak. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • harlot — [n] prostitute call girl, concubine, courtesan, fallen woman*, floozy*, hooker, hussy, lady of the evening, loose woman, nymphomaniac*, painted woman, slut, streetwalker, strumpet, tramp, whore; concepts 348,412,415,419 …   New thesaurus

  • harlot — ► NOUN archaic ▪ a prostitute or promiscuous woman. DERIVATIVES harlotry noun. ORIGIN Old French, young man, knave …   English terms dictionary

  • harlot — [här′lət] n. [ME (< OFr, rogue, vagabond), orig. a euphemism for whore] PROSTITUTE …   English World dictionary

  • Harlot — Filmdaten Originaltitel Harlot Produktionsland USA …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Harlot —    1) Heb. zonah (Gen. 34:31; 38:15). In verses 21, 22 the Hebrew word used in kedeshah, i.e., a woman consecrated or devoted to prostitution in connection with the abominable worship of Asherah or Astarte, the Syrian Venus. This word is also… …   Easton's Bible Dictionary

  • harlot — [13] The use of harlot for ‘prostitute’ is a comparatively recent development in the word’s history. It originally meant ‘tramp, beggar’, and did not come to mean ‘prostitute’ until the 15th century. It was borrowed from Old French harlot or… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

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