Where does “criminalese” come from?
criminalese (English) comes from English criminal, from Middle English cryminal, from Anglo-Norman criminal, from Latin crīminālis, from Latin crīmen, from Proto-Italic kreimen, from Proto-Indo-European kréymn̥, from Proto-Indo-European krey- — to sift, separate, divide.
criminalese (English): The argot spoken by criminals
Definitions
- The argot spoken by criminals
Ancestry of “criminalese”, step by step
criminalese traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English criminal
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | criminal | Against the law; forbidden by law; Guilty of... |
| 2 | Middle English | cryminal | Relating to crime or illegal actions; criminal;... |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | criminal | criminal; illegal; against the law |
| 4 | Latin | crīminālis | criminal |
| 5 | Latin | crīmen | a judicial decision, verdict, or judgment |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | kreimen | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kréymn̥ | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | krey- | to sift, separate, divide |