cunnus

Latin

Etymology

Uncertain. Various theories include:

• Proto-Indo-European *gʷḗn (“woman”), whence it would be cognate with Mycenaean Greek 𐀓𐀙𐀊 (ku-na-ja), Old English cwene, Proto-Slavic *žena, Sanskrit जनि (jani);
• Proto-Indo-European *kut-nos (“cover”), cognate with cutis (“skin”). The metaphor is identical to the one connecting Latin vulva and English hull, albeit from a different IE root.
• Other theoretic relation is to Latin cuneus (“wedge”).

Noun

cunnus (genitive cunnī); m, second declension

1. woman
   • 40/41 CE, Horatius, Sermones, I, 3:

     nam fuit ante Helenam cunnus taeterrima belli
     causa, sed ignotis perierunt mortibus illi,
     quos venerem incertam rapientis more ferarum
     viribus editior caedebat ut in grege taurus.

2. (vulgar) cunt, cunny (obscene word for the vulva)
3. (vulgar) female pudendum, pubic hair

Descendants

• Catalan: cony
• Dalmatian: con
• French: con
• Hungarian: cuni, cunci (borrowed)

• Neapolitan: cunnu
• Portuguese: cona
• Spanish: coño

See also

• culus (“anus, arse”)
• cunae (“cradle, nest for young birds”)
• cuneus (“wedge”)
• cuniculus (“rabbit”)