By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy , Privacy Policy , and our Terms of Service. It only takes a minute to sign up. Prostitution is referred to as the oldest profession, but the English word "prostitute" is a borrowing that started being used in the English language around I would like to know what the prostitutes were most commonly called in Britain before.
My question is this: What are the main original English words or short expressions for women who regularly engage in sexual activity for payment? Please kindly note that my question is not about women who have many casual sexual encounters or relationships just for fun.
My question is about making money in this way. Please also kindly note that my question is not about being financially supported or provided for by a lover. My question is about selling sex to different customers and taking money for individual sex sessions. Also, my question is not about old words that recently became a slang or euphemistic word for a prostitute, like "escort" or "hooker.
Whether a word survived or got extinct is irrelevant. My question is not strictly limited to words of English origin, although my primary interest is about them. At any rate, only those borrowed words qualify that were borrowed well before the word "prostitute" was. I did my own research, but was largely unsuccessful. A very interesting Wikipedia article , entitled "Prostitution in the United Kingdom," says that prostitutes were licensed in Britain as early as , but does not say what the prostitutes were commonly called at that time in everyday communications and in legislative acts.
The word "courtesan" was borrowed at about the same time when the word "prostitute" was. Apart from the word "courtesan," the Oxford dictionary lists the following archaic words synonymous to "prostitute":.
