prudery

the word 'prudery' is built upon the noun 'prude', which entered english from french in the early 18th century. 'prude' itself derives from the old french 'prudefemme', a compound meaning 'wise or good woman', with the 'prude' element tracing back to the latin 'prōdesse', meaning 'to be of advantage or value'. the suffix '-ery', of old french origin, is used to form nouns denoting a state, condition, or characteristic behavior. therefore, 'prudery' literally denotes 'the state or quality of being a prude', evolving from an original sense of feminine wisdom or virtue to a modern, often pejorative, meaning of exaggerated or affected modesty.

Structure: prud(e) (prudent) + ery (state or quality) 'prude' (from french, ultimately from old french 'prudefemme', meaning 'wise or good woman', of latin origin) + 'ery' (a noun-forming suffix of french/latin origin, indicating a state, condition, or behavior).