pucele
Old French
Etymology
First attested in the 10th century as pulcella, from Vulgar Latin *pūllicella, of disputed origin. Possibly a diminutive of Latin pullus (“young of animals, chick”), or pullus as a contraction of *purulus, from purus (“pure”). Alternatively from Latin puella (“girl”) through a Vulgar Latin root *puellicella.
Noun
pucele f (oblique plural puceles, nominative singular pucele, nominative plural puceles)
- a young, unmarried woman
- 12th or 13th century, Marie de France, Lanval:
- Le chevaler avant ala, e la pucele l'apela
- The knight went onwards, and the young girl called to him
-
- (by extension) a virgin
Descendants
- Middle French: pucelle
- French: pucelle
- → English: pucelle
- → Italian: pulzella
References
- Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IXe au XVe siècle (1881) (pucele, supplement)
- pucele on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub