Etymology

ribaldry

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Today it means: Joking or humorous language or behaviour used in a vulgar or lewd fashion. Full definition →

Middle English ribaldrie ← Old French ribaulderie
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The story

  1. Old French · derived fromribaulderie
  2. Middle English · inherited fromribaldrie
  3. English todayribaldry

From Middle English ribaldrie, from Old French ribaulderie, ribauderie, equivalent to ribald + -ry.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.