con (French)

Where does "con" come from?

The French adjective 'con', meaning 'stupid'[1], is inherited from the Latin noun 'cunnus'[1]. This Latin term has an uncertain origin[2] but is likely derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *(s)ker meaning to cut, carrying an original sense of a gash or slit[2].

Open questions

• The ultimate derivation from Proto-Indo-European is uncertain, and the precise etymology of the Latin base remains disputed. [1] [2]

Full etymology tree

• con (French), 'stupid'
  • inherited cunnus (Latin), 'vulva, vagina (the female genitalia including their external as well as internal parts)'
    • derived *(s)ker- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to cut off, sever'

Ancestors

• cunnus (Latin)

Descendants and derived words

• à la con (French)
• archicon (French)
• con comme la Lune (French)
• con comme ses pieds (French)
• con comme un balai (French)
• con comme un manche (French)
• connard (French)
• connasse (French)
• connerie (French)
• faire le con (French)
• piège à cons (French)

Sources

1. con (French) - Wiktionary
2. cunnus (Latin) - Wiktionary

Updated September 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris