English

Noun

pucelle ‎(plural pucelles)

1. (archaic) A girl, a maiden; a virgin (often with reference to Joan of Arc).
   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte d’Arthur, Book VII, Ch.xij:

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

   • Ben Jonson (1572-1637)

     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 ****.

Translations

French

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pysɛl/

Noun

pucelle f ‎(plural pucelles, masculine puceau)

1. a maiden; a virgin

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

Derived terms

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