pucelle

From Anglo-Norman pucele, Middle French pucele, perhaps from a Late Latin *pullicella, but the further etymology is disputed.

• IPA^(key): /pʊˈsɛl/

pucelle (plural pucelles)

1. (archaic) A girl, a maiden; a virgin (often with reference to Joan of Arc).
   • 1485 July 31, Thomas Malory, “(please specify the chapter)”, in [Le Morte Darthur], (please specify the book number), [London]: […] [by William Caxton], OCLC 71490786; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur […], London: Published by David Nutt, […], 1889, OCLC 890162034:

     , Book VII, Ch.xij:

     ‘Be ye a pusell or a wyff?’ ‘Sir,’ she seyde, ‘I am a clene maydyn.’

   • (Can we date this quote?) Ben Jonson

     Lady or pucelle, that wears mask or fan.

   • 1976, Robert Nye, Falstaff:

     Seven weeks before, Joan of Arc had ridden into Orleans. She was at the height of her strange career.…‘Maid or Witch, Pucelle or Puzzell – she is very hard to understand.’

2. (obsolete) A prostitute, a slut.

Middle French pucelle < Old French pucele, 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.

• IPA^(key): /pysɛl/

• Audio

  (file)

pucelle f (plural pucelles, masculine puceau)

1. a maiden; a virgin

   elle n'est plus pucelle: she's no longer a virgin.

• la Pucelle d'Orléans: the Maid of Orleans, Joan of Arc

• “pucelle” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).