praegnāns

Pregnant comes from the Latin praegnāns (with child), probably from prae (before) and gnāscī / nāscī (to be born). A pregnant woman is, etymologically, in the state of 'before-birth.' The word entered English in the early sixteenth century, replacing the Middle English term 'with child' in formal usage. The Latin root nāscī also gives English nascent, native, nature, and nation — all related to birth and beginning.

The figurative meaning appeared almost immediately. A 'pregnant pause' was recorded by the late 1500s — a pause full of meaning, about to give birth to a revelation. A 'pregnant question' was one loaded with implications. The metaphor was natural: something pregnant is something that contains something else that is about to emerge. The word extended from physical carrying to conceptual carrying.

The taboo around the word is historical. In Victorian English, pregnant was considered too direct, and euphemisms proliferated: 'in a family way,' 'expecting,' 'in a delicate condition,' 'enciente' (from the French). The word itself was avoided in polite company. Television avoided it until the 1950s — I Love Lucy (1952-1953) famously used 'expecting' instead of 'pregnant' on air, though Lucille Ball was visibly carrying a child.

Modern English has reclaimed the word entirely. Pregnancy announcements are public events. The word appears in news headlines, social media, and casual conversation without hesitation. The Victorian delicacy around the word lasted roughly a century. Before and after, people said pregnant without embarrassment.