Where does “criminality” come from?
Criminality derives from French criminalité, from Latin criminalitas, formed from Latin criminalis (adjective suffix -alis) and Latin -itas (noun-forming suffix), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European krey-.
criminality (English): The state of being criminal; Criminal activity; A...
Definitions
- The state of being criminal; Criminal activity; A...
Ancestry of “criminality”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | criminalité | crime; criminality, criminalness |
| 2 | French | -té | -ty |
| 3 | Middle French | -té | -ty |
| 4 | Old French | -té | -ty |
| 5 | Latin | -īta | — |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -ίτης | Suffix forming a masculine noun: one connected... |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | πολῑ́της | citizen |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | -της | Forms nouns representing a state of being; Added... |
| 9 | Proto-Hellenic | -tāts | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -teh₂ts | Used to form nouns representing state of being |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | -teh₂ | Used to form nouns representing state of being |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | -tós | Creates verbal adjectives from verb stems |