ingenue
UK[ˌænʒeɪˈnjuː]US[ˈɑːnʒənuː]
n
An innocent or unsophisticated young woman, especially as a character type in a play or film.
n
An actress who plays such a part.
Etymology
The word 'ingénue' was borrowed directly from French in the mid-19th century, specifically from theatrical vocabulary. It originates from the French feminine adjective 'ingénue', the feminine of 'ingénu', meaning 'ingenuous, artless, innocent'. This French term derives from Latin 'ingenuus', which originally meant 'native, free-born' (from 'in-' meaning 'in' and 'gignere' meaning 'to beget'), and by extension came to signify the noble, frank qualities associated with a free-born person. The theatrical sense developed in French to denote a stock character of a naive young woman, a meaning which English fully adopted, applying it both to the character type and the actress specializing in such roles.
Analysis
The word is a direct loan from French, where it is the feminine form of the adjective 'ingénu' meaning 'ingenuous, naive, artless'. It is not productively segmented using English morphemes.
Examples
She was cast as the ingenue in the Broadway production.
The veteran actress skillfully transitioned from playing ingenues to more complex, mature roles.
His latest novel features a clever ingenue who is far more perceptive than she initially appears.