# Where does the prefix cul- come from. Is it Latin? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 28, 2022, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-prefix-cul-come-from-is-it-latin/973905 "2022-10-28T00:55:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2acd7d/32.png) [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2022, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-prefix-cul-come-from-is-it-latin/973905/1 "2022-10-28T00:55:08Z")
Where does the prefix cul- come from. Is it Latin? I couldn’t find it. I see it in the words ‘culminate’, ‘culpable’ ‘cul de sac’ etc. I believe I read somewhere that it can mean ‘adverse’. Not sure. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2022, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-prefix-cul-come-from-is-it-latin/973905/2 "2022-10-28T01:00:50Z")
cul in cul-de-sac means bottom as in bottom of the bag ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2022, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-prefix-cul-come-from-is-it-latin/973905/3 "2022-10-28T01:01:03Z")
Culpable comes from the Latin “culpa,” meaning “blame” or “fault.” Might not be related to the other words. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2022, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-prefix-cul-come-from-is-it-latin/973905/4 "2022-10-28T01:01:21Z")
Culminate and culpable have different root words. The former is “culmen,” meaning “peak.” kenobi pointed out the latter. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2022, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-prefix-cul-come-from-is-it-latin/973905/5 "2022-10-28T01:10:14Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > cul in cul-de-sac means bottom as in bottom of the bag And tail/ass. So in French there’s “lèche-cul”, which basically means “ass licker”. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2022, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-prefix-cul-come-from-is-it-latin/973905/6 "2022-10-28T01:17:37Z")
And [L.H.O.O.Q.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L.H.O.O.Q.) = _Elle a chaud au cul_ (“she’s got a hot ass”). ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2022, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-prefix-cul-come-from-is-it-latin/973905/7 "2022-10-28T01:24:37Z")
> [@](#): > > Where does the prefix cul- come from. Is it Latin? Ummm, it’s not a prefix. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2022, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-prefix-cul-come-from-is-it-latin/973905/8 "2022-10-28T01:36:36Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > cul in cul-de-sac means bottom as in bottom of the bag > [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > Culminate and culpable have different root words. The former is “culmen,” meaning “peak.” kenobi pointed out the latter. Trying to suss out English from syllables is a hopeless task when the same three letters can come from “bottom” and “peak”. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2022, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-prefix-cul-come-from-is-it-latin/973905/9 "2022-10-29T02:50:42Z")
[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cul#French](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cul#French) > Etymology From [Middle French](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_French) _[cul](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cul#Middle_French)_, from [Old French](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_French), from [Latin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin) _[cūlus](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/culus#Latin)_, from [Proto-Indo-European](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proto-Indo-European_language) _[\*kuH-l-](https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/kuH-l-&action=edit&redlink=1)_, [zero-grade](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:Glossary#zero-grade) without [s-mobile](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:Glossary#s-mobile) form of _[\*(s)kewH-](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/(s)kewH-)_ (“to cover”). ---
**Author:** ![Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2acd7d/32.png) [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2022, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-prefix-cul-come-from-is-it-latin/973905/10 "2022-10-29T04:50:24Z")
Thanks gnoitall. So it does have a Latin root! ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2022, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-prefix-cul-come-from-is-it-latin/973905/11 "2022-10-29T04:57:10Z")
> [@Octagon](#): > > So it does have a Latin root! Well, yes, but the various “cul” words you asked about all come from _ **different** _ Latin root words. ---
**Author:** ![Moonrise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonrise/32/14764_2.png) [@Moonrise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonrise)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2022, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-prefix-cul-come-from-is-it-latin/973905/12 "2022-10-29T11:55:39Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > And [L.H.O.O.Q.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L.H.O.O.Q.) = _Elle a chaud au cul_ (“she’s got a hot ass”). More accurately : “she’s horny.” Some profanities following: (+/- “She’s got heat in her ass”) In French naughty bits are not associated with hotness but with “goodness” : she’s got a hot ass = _Il est bon, son cul_ (literally “It is good, her ass”). ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2022, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-prefix-cul-come-from-is-it-latin/973905/13 "2022-10-29T12:50:31Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > And [L.H.O.O.Q.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L.H.O.O.Q.) = _Elle a chaud au cul_ (“she’s got a hot ass”). I am not a mod. Still, this is going in a bad direction. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2022, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-prefix-cul-come-from-is-it-latin/973905/14 "2022-10-29T15:20:12Z")
See also [Oh Cacutta !](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oh!_Calcutta!) (A British musical) > The title is taken from a painting by Clovis Trouille, itself a pun on "_O quel cul t’as!_ ", French for “Oh, what an arse you have!” ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2022, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-prefix-cul-come-from-is-it-latin/973905/15 "2022-10-29T16:23:24Z")
In the UK (and presumably also in the US) dead-end roads are sometimes used to signed as “_cul de sac_”. In France, they call a dead end road a _“voie sans issue”_. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2022, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-prefix-cul-come-from-is-it-latin/973905/16 "2022-10-29T16:26:23Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > In the UK (and presumably also in the US) dead-end roads are sometimes used to signed as “_cul de sac_”. Cul-de-sac is definitely a common term in the U.S., though it typically refers to a specific kind of dead-end road: one with an enlarged circular end, to make turning around easier. Example: [![](https://cdn.coloradoparent.com/2019/02/CSG1902_YourTurn_CulDeSac-960x720.jpg) ](https://cdn.coloradoparent.com/2019/02/CSG1902_YourTurn_CulDeSac-960x720.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2022, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-prefix-cul-come-from-is-it-latin/973905/17 "2022-10-30T05:05:14Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Cul-de-sac is definitely a common term in the U.S., though it typically refers to a specific kind of dead-end road: one with an enlarged circular end, to make turning around easier. On old city maps you sometimes see dead-end alleys labeled “Sack Alley”. When I say “old” I’m thinking of Baist Real Estate Survey or Sanborn Fire Insurance maps from at least a century ago.