pussy (French)

Where does "pussy" come from?

The French noun 'pussy' was borrowed directly from the English word 'pussy'[1]. In English, the term developed as a diminutive formation combining 'puss', meaning 'cat', with the suffix '-y'[2]. English 'puss' itself likely derives from Middle Low German 'pūse' or Dutch 'poes' (meaning 'cat', and also serving as slang for 'vulva')[3]. Ultimately, this lineage traces back to a common Germanic cat word, which may have originated as an imitative call used to attract a feline's attention[3].

Open questions

• The derivation of English 'puss' from Middle Low German or Dutch is probable rather than certain. [3]
• The ultimate origin of the underlying Germanic root as an imitative calling sound made to cats remains an unconfirmed hypothesis. [3]

Full etymology tree

• pussy (French), 'pussy (vagina)'
  • borrowed pussy (English), 'A cat.'
    • suffix puss (English), 'A cat.'
      • derived pūse (Middle Low German)
        • inherited (Germanic)
      • derived pūskatte (Middle Low German)
        • derived (Germanic)
      • derived poes (Dutch), 'a female cat'
        • inherited (Germanic)
    • suffix -y (English), 'Forming diminutive nouns.'

Ancestors

• pussy (English)

Sources

1. pussy (French) - Wiktionary
2. pussy (English) - Wiktionary
3. puss (English) - Wiktionary

Updated October 2026

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