a complicated word of uncertain history. First attested 1483, "lewd person" (of either sex; since c.1700 applied only to women), probably from
baude-strote "procurer of prostitutes" (1362), which may be from M.E.
bawde (adj.) "merry, joyous," from O.Fr.
baud "gay, licentious" (from Frank.
bald "bold"). It would not be the first time a word meaning "joyous" had taken on a sexual sense. The O.Fr. word also is the source of Fr.
baudet "donkey," in Picardy dialect "loose woman." The second element in
baude-strote would be
trot "one who runs errands," or Gmc.
*strutt (see
strut). But OED doubts all this. There was an O.Fr.
baudetrot of the same meaning (13c.), and this may be the direct source of M.E.
baude-strote. The obsolete word
bronstrops "procuress," frequently found in Middleton's comedies, probably is an alt. of
baude-strote Bawdry "obscenity" (c.1374) is probably from O.Fr.
bauderie "boldness."
Bawdy is 1513, "of, pertaining to, or befitting a bawd;" usually of language (originally
to talk bawdy).
"Bawdy Basket, the twenty-third rank of canters, who carry pins, tape, ballads and obscene books to sell." [Grose, "Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue," 1785]
[bawd] 
