randy
UK[ˈrandi]US[ˈrændi]
adj
Feeling or expressing strong sexual desire; lustful.
n
A lustful or sexually unrestrained person.
Etymology
The word 'randy' entered English in the late 17th century, primarily in Scottish dialect, with the specific meaning of 'boisterous, aggressive, or coarse'. Its direct ancestor is likely the obsolete Dutch verb 'randen', which described an animal being in heat. This connection to animalistic, unrestrained sexual behavior provided the semantic core. Over the 18th and 19th centuries, the term's usage spread and its meaning narrowed and intensified, shifting from general rowdiness to its dominant modern sense of being overtly and lustfully sexually aroused. The journey from a term for animal rutting to a colloquial, often humorous or derogatory, descriptor for human lust illustrates a classic pattern of semantic specialization.
Analysis
The word 'randy' is considered a simplex form in modern English. It is a loanword, likely from the obsolete Dutch verb 'randen', meaning 'to be in heat' (specifically of animals), or from the related obsolete Low German 'randen', meaning 'to rut'. The functional role of the word is as a complete lexical unit.
Examples
He was feeling a bit randy after a few drinks.
The novel's protagonist is portrayed as a lovable but perpetually randy rogue.
She dismissed his crude advances with a laugh, calling him a silly old randy.