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Prostitution is referred to as the oldest profession, but the German word "Prostituierte" is a borrowing that started being used in the German language around 1800. I would like to know what the prostitutes were most commonly called in Germany before.

My question is this: What are the main German words or short expressions used before 1800 for women who regularly engage in sexual activity for payment?

I did my own research and found the words "Nutte" and "Hure," but I am not satisfied. The word "Nutte" originated in the late 1800s, after the word "Prostituierte" was borrowed. Concerning the word "Hure," my impression is that it is very derogatory, whilst I want to learn the normal German words, similar to 遊女 (woman of pleasure), which pay more respect to the oldest profession.

Kurtisane

From wikipedia:

Der Begriff „Kurtisane“ leitet sich von dem Wort „Cortigiana“ ab, was eigentlich Hofdame bedeutet, und bezeichnete um 1500 die gehobene Prostituierte, vergleichbar mit den Hetären des antiken Griechenlands.

• It's older (16th century)


• Pays more respect to the profession

Note that the 1545 Bible translation by Luther (version from zeno.org) uses Hure. See Matthäus 21 / 31:

Jhesus sprach zu jnen / Warlich ich sage euch / Die Zölner vnd Huren mügen wol ehe ins Himelreich komen /denn jr.

The wikipedia site on medieval prostitution lists as terms for prostitutes in medieval sources:

• 
  meretrix, a Latin word for "whore"


• 
  prostibilis, Latin for "offering oneself,


• 
  gemaine weiber (="gemeine Weiber"), "common women", apparently because prostitutes usually would have to take any customer,


• 
  frie frowen (="freie Frauen"), "free ladies", which according to Wikipedia meant prostitutes who were self-employed and could therefore choose what customers to take.

None of these terms are still in use though.

Luther uses "Hure" in the first German translation of the bible:

• "ES sol kein Hure sein vnter den töchtern Jsrael /Vnd kein Hurer vnter den sönen Jsrael." (Deut 23:17)


• "DArumb du Hure / höre des HERRN wort" (Ez 16:35)


• ...

The Constitution Criminalis Theresiana also uses "Hure":

• 
  

  "Dahingegen wider die dritte Gattung der Huren, und gemeinen
  Schleppsäcken allemal Landgerichtlich mit empfindlicher Leibsstrafe,
  und jeweiliger Lands- oder Landsgerichtsverweisung zu verfahren ist."
  (In Art. 81, "von gemeiner Hurerey, und anderen ungeziemlichen
  Beywohnungen", §2)

  
  




• 
  

  "Drittens: Da hervorkäme, dass eine unzüchtig-unverschämte Vettel das
  Hurenleben schon geraume Zeit getrieben, und gleichsam ein Handwerk
  daraus gemacht habe." (Ebd., §3)

  
  




• 
  

  (Whereas against the third kind of whores, and common procurers(?), one has always to apply corporeal punishment and expulsion from the district or the county jurisdiction.)

  
  




• 
  

  (Third: If it becomes apparent that a lewd and shameless hag has led the whore's life for some time, and has made a trade of it."

  
  

Note both the pejorative language that is used for professional prostitutes, and that prostitution is a delict that is to be punished by "empfindlicher Leibsstrafe" (corporeal punishment) and expulsion from the place of jurisdiction.

There's Dirne and, more specifically, Lustdirne which doesn't seem as derogatory as Hure but underwent pejoration over the centuries. The Wikipedia article Prostitution im Mittelalter mentions a few other words like meretrix, but it's possible that there simply wasn't a respectful designation, since historically, prostitution was always stigmatized in Germany.