- πόρνη
- πόρνηGrammatical information: f.Meaning: `prostitute, whore' (IA.).Compounds: Compp., e.g. πορνο-βοσκός m. `procurer' with -έω, -ία, -εῖον (Herod., Att.; Chantraine Études 17); πορνο-λύτας m. (inscr. Tarentum), s. Parlangèli Glotta 40, 50.Derivatives: 1. Dimin. πορν-ίδιον n. (com.); 2. -ικός `belonging to harlots' (Aesch., LXX); 3. -εῖον n. `brothel' (Ar., Antipho), 4. -οσύνη f. `prostitution' (Man.; Wyss 71); 5. -εύομαι, -εύω, also m. κατα-, ἐκ- `to live like a harlot, to let oneself be used for lewdness; to prostitute', also metaph. `to practice idolatry' (NT), with -εία, -ευσις, -ευμα, -εύτρια (IA.). From πόρνη also πόρνος m. `lover-boy, lover' (Att., LXX, NT).Origin: GR [a formation built with Greek elements]Etymology: Formation like ποινή, φερνή, τόρνος a.o. (Chantraine Form. 192 f.), so verbal noun of πέρνημι (note the common ν-suffix). Prob. prop. "export, sale". After Schwyzer 489 a. 362 however subst. adj. "who is sold in(to) a foreign (land) " (with -ορ- as zero grade?). In any case a euphemistic expression (Benveniste Sprache 1, 118). -- So from *porh₂-n-, with loss of the laryngeal after -o-.Page in Frisk: 2,581
Greek-English etymological dictionary (Ελληνικά-Αγγλικά ετυμολογική λεξικό). Robert S.P.. 2010.