Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “criminalist” come from?

criminalist (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.

criminalist (English): A person who specializes in criminal law; A...

Definitions

  1. A person who specializes in criminal law; A...

Ancestry of “criminalist”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcriminalAgainst the law; forbidden by law; Guilty of...
2Middle EnglishcryminalRelating to crime or illegal actions; criminal;...
3Anglo-Normancriminalcriminal; illegal; against the law
4Latincrīminālis—
5Latincrīmen—
6Proto-Italickreimen—
7Proto-Indo-Europeankréymn̥—
8Proto-Indo-Europeankrey-to sift, separate, divide
Every word from Proto-Indo-European krey- →