The word 'whore' originates from the Proto-Germanic \hōrǭ, which is related to the Old Norse hóra and the Gothic hōrs, all meaning "adulterer" or "fornicator." This Germanic root is further traced back to the Proto-Indo-European \kā-, meaning "to like, desire," a semantic link that connects the concept of desire to the later, more specific and derogatory meaning. Over centuries, the term narrowed from a more general sense of sexual impropriety to its primary modern meaning of a prostitute, acquiring strong pejorative force. Its journey reflects a common linguistic pattern where a word for a basic human impulse evolves into a socially stigmatized label.

This is a simplex word of Germanic origin. The modern English form is a direct descendant of the Old English word hōre.