Punani, a slang term for “vagina”, has its origins in the Jamaican patois term punanny from the 1980s. The term gained popularity through its use in reggae music and on the show Da Ali G Show. Some believe that it may have come from the Hawaiian word puanani, which means “beautiful flower” (from pua meaning “blossom” and nani meaning “lovely”), but the geographical connection is questionable. Another proposed origin is from poon, a slang term for “vagina” that is a shortened form of poontang, a Haitian Creole variation of the French word putain meaning “prostitute”. The French word putain can be traced back to the Latin word putus meaning “pure” (potentially influenced by putidus meaning “stinking”, which is also the source of the Spanish word puta). Alternatively, it could come from the Proto-Indo-European word pewh meaning “to purify”. The etymology of colloquial words like this can be challenging to pinpoint, but both theories are intriguing!
