Pudicus

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Marked by a sense of modesty and restraint in social interactions
2. Reflects a personality that is shy or reserved, especially in intimate situations
3. Exhibiting a demeanor of modesty and proper behavior in social contexts ; displaying a reserved or bashful attitude particularly regarding personal or private subjects

Etymology: Pudicus is a Latin adjective meaning "modest" or "chaste," especially in reference to sexual conduct and bodily shame. It comes from the verb "pudere," "to feel shame or be ashamed," and the adjective is built on that root with the suffix "-icus," which forms adjectives meaning "pertaining to" or "characterised by." So a "pudicus" person was, in the most literal sense, one characterised by a sense of shame, which Roman writers prized as a virtue. The same root gives English "pudency" and "impudent" (the prefix "im-" meaning "not," so "without shame"), and "pudic," the anatomical term for the external genitals, which is an adjective built directly from this Latin stem. The word "pudendum" follows the same pattern, a gerundive meaning "that which is to be ashamed of," and it too has come into English as a euphemism for the same body parts.

Synonyms: modest

Antonyms: immodest