putain

French

Alternative forms

• p*tain, p****n (censored)
• putaing (Meridional)
• pt1, ptn, pvtain (text messaging, Internet slang)

Etymology

Inherited from Old French putain, originally the oblique case of pute (“dirty woman”) formed with the suffix -ain, from Vulgar Latin pūtta, from Latin pūta (“girl”). Compare with salope, Italian puttana, Spanish puta.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /py.tɛ̃/

• Audio (Paris):

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• Audio (France (Toulouse)):

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• Audio (France (Vosges)):

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• Audio (France (Somain)):

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• Homophone: putains

Noun

putain f (plural putains)

1. (vulgar, dated) whore, hooker

   Synonym: pute

2. (derogatory, vulgar, slang, dated) bitch, cow (an unpleasant woman)

   Synonym: pute

Descendants

• →? English: poontang, pootang

Interjection

putain

1. (vulgar) fuck, fucking hell, bloody hell

   Synonyms: bordel, (euphemistic) punaise, (euphemistic) purée

   Putain, il a encore oublié les clés !

   Fuck, he forgot the keys again!

2. (vulgar) used as an intensifier

   Je veux que tu le laves, putain !

   I need you to fucking wash it!

   Comment, putain, il s’est cassé le bras ?

   How the fuck did he break his arm?

Derived terms

• fils de putain
• ptn
• putain de (noun)
• putain de bordel de merde
• putain de merde

Further reading

• “putain”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Norman

Etymology

From Old French putain.

Noun

putain f (plural putains)

1. (Jersey) whore

   Synonym: chèrch'rêsse

Old French

Etymology

From pute with the suffix -ain, -aine, or from Vulgar Latin pūtta/*pūttāna, from Latin pūta (“girl”). Compare Old Occitan putan(a). Latin putta (“prostitute”) is attested in the sixth century (Gregory of Tours). The change of meaning from "girl" to "prostitute" is due to euphemism, a process that is well known to other periods and languages.

Noun

putain oblique singular, f (oblique plural putains, nominative singular pute, nominative plural putains)

1. (vulgar) whore, prostitute, bitch

Descendants

• French: pute, putain
• → Welsh: putain
• → Friulian: putan, putane
• → Italian: puttana (see there for further descendants)
• → Aromanian: putanã
• → Piedmontese: putan-a

Scottish Gaelic

Noun

putain m

1. genitive singular of putan (“button, key”)

Mutation

Mutation of putain

radical	lenition
putain	phutain

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Scottish Gaelic.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Welsh

Etymology

From Old French putain, originally the oblique case of pute (“dirty woman”) formed with the suffix -ain, from Vulgar Latin putta, from Latin puta (“girl”). Cognate with French putain, Italian puttana.

Pronunciation

• (North Wales, standard, colloquial) IPA^(key): /ˈpɨ̞tai̯n/
  • (North Wales, colloquial) IPA^(key): /ˈpɨ̞tɛn/
• (South Wales, standard) IPA^(key): /ˈpɪtai̯n/
  • (South Wales, colloquial) IPA^(key): /ˈpɪtɛn/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

putain f (plural puteiniaid)

1. prostitute, harlot, whore

   Synonyms: hŵr, dihiren

Derived terms

• puteinllyd, puteinaidd (“whorish”)
• puteindy (“brothel”)
• puteinio (“to whore”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of putain

radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
putain	butain	mhutain	phutain

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• D. G. Lewis, N. Lewis, editors (2005–present), “putain”, in Gweiadur: the Welsh–English Dictionary, Gwerin
• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke, et al., editors (1950–present), “putain”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies