How did the word p.u.s.s.y came about?

Question

We all heard these rude words on the streets, but how did it came about? and since when did it became a substitute for private parts?

To those who want to know why i wanted to ask this question:
- One fine day, i was hanging out with my friends. The next thing i know was the word 'p.u.s.s.y' coming out of their mouths. So back then, i was thinking who did we learn this word from? And who did this 'who' learn the word from. I asked my friends.. Nobody knows..
Its strange isnt it, People spouting all these crap talk and not knowing how and where it originated.

Answer 1

(I deserve the 10 points just for going to the trouble of uncensoring all of the following :P)

"slang for "c.unt," 1879, but probably older; perhaps from O.N. puss "pocket, pouch" (cf. Low Ger. puse "vulva"), but perhaps instead from the cat word (see p.ussy (1)) on notion of "soft, warm, furry thing;" cf. Fr. le chat, which also has a double meaning, feline and genital. Earlier uses are difficult to distinguish from p.ussy (1), e.g.:
"The word pussie is now used of a woman" [Philip Stubbes, "The Anatomie of Abuses," 1583]
But the use of p.ussy as a term of endearment argues against the vaginal sense being generally known before late 19c., e.g.:
" 'What do you think, p.ussy?' said her father to Eva." [Harriet Beecher Stowe, "Uncle Tom's Cabin," 1852]"

Answer 2

The medieval French word pucelle referred to a young adolescent girl or a virgin, although this comes from a slang term for virginity puce (= flea) rather than referring to cats (but cf. French chatte (female cat), a current vulgarism for the female pudenda). In the 17th century, the term was also used to refer to women in general. Philip Stubbs, an English pampleteer, wrote in his 1583 book "The Anatomie of Abuses" that "the word pussie is now used of a woman".

Answer 3

I found these websites which explain about the words "pussy" and "pussycat":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pussy
http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/pussycat
http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/pussy

BTW, the Warner Bros cartoon character Sylvester the Cat called himself a puss, pussy, or pussycat, even though he was really a tomcat.

Answer 4

Pussy is like a cat.. you know..pussycat...well cats are really hairy but like to keep it clean...so that is probably where it came from..anyways...why did you wanna know that....i kinda laughed a little when i read the question....

Answer 5

this one goes waaaaaaaaaaaaay back, to the 15th century when several royal 'gentlemen' began to refer to their ladies genital region as 'les chats', or kittens/cats. Obviously, the english translation let to the word you ask about today.

Answer 6

Who knows? There are probably many different stories, as to why that came to be. But I just have to ask, Why did you ask this question?

Answer 7

Good question. Also called to a man instead of 'wimp' I really don't know.

Answer 8

where do all the bad words come from if you think about it.. i know the F word has something about a king... and it turned into a bad word somehow. but really, why are there "bad" words anyways! who thought one day, lets have words that are bad to say... wtf. lol

Answer 9

In the old days women didn't wash so the smell attracted a lot of cats

Answer 10

how does any word come about? who knows