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Hussy

2 stages from Middle English to English.

Today it means an impudent or immoral girl or woman

Where does the word "hussy" come from? It comes from Middle English hūswīf, adopted directly into English (1650s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
hūswīf
Middle English · 1200s
"housewife"
'housewife', the mistress of a household
2
Stage 2 of 2
hussy
English · 1650s
"impudent woman"
the worn-down form 'huswif, hussy' split off from 'housewife' and sank to mean an impudent or immoral woman
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Hussy’s story begins in Middle English: hūswīf meant “housewife.” 'housewife', the mistress of a household. It reached English by 1650s as hussy. The worn-down form 'huswif, hussy' split off from 'housewife' and sank to mean an impudent or immoral woman. Today, hussy means an impudent or immoral girl or woman.