entry
strumpet
/ˈstrʌmpɪt/An archaic or insulting word for a prostitute
From Uncertain; possibly Middle Dutch, with a competing Late Latin proposal strumpet (A prostitute or sexually promiscuous woman).
from Middle Dutch strompen (“to stalk”) or strompe (“stocking”); or Late Latin stuprum (“violation”) or stuprare (“to...
Word Ancestry
from Middle Dutch strompen (“to stalk”) or strompe (“stocking”); or Late Latin stuprum (“violation”) or stuprare (“to...
Strumpet arrives from the Middle English period wearing an etymological disguise: nobody is quite sure who made it. One leading theory points to Middle Dutch strompen, “to stalk,” imagining the purposeful walk of a prostitute seeking customers; another links it to Late Latin stuprum, “violation,” or stuprare, “to have illicit sexual relations.” By the eighteenth century, the word could be shortened to strum, which meant both “to have carnal knowledge of a woman” and—rather wonderfully—to play a stringed instrument badly. That double life helps explain why modern jokes pair strumpet with trumpet, although the resemblance is accidental. Shakespearean insult, medieval sexual vocabulary, and a badly played harpsichord all meet in one word whose history is as murky as its reputation.
The Story
Strumpet arrives from the Middle English period wearing an etymological disguise: nobody is quite sure who made it. One leading theory points to Middle Dutch strompen, “to stalk,” imagining the purposeful walk of a prostitute seeking customers; another links it to Late Latin stuprum, “violation,” or stuprare, “to have illicit sexual relations.” By the eighteenth century, the word could be shortened to strum, which meant both “to have carnal knowledge of a woman” and—rather wonderfully—to play a stringed instrument badly. That double life helps explain why modern jokes pair strumpet with trumpet, although the resemblance is accidental. Shakespearean insult, medieval sexual vocabulary, and a badly played harpsichord all meet in one word whose history is as murky as its reputation.
Modern Usage
A derogatory term for a prostitute or sexually promiscuous woman
Notable References
- Shakespearean-style insult: “Thou art a strumpet!”
Kin & Kindred
From 'strumpet'·A prostitute or sexually promiscuous woman
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Urban Dictionary
Wiktionary