Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “culpable” come from?

Culpable comes from Middle English culpable, from Old French culpable, from Latin culpabilis, derived from culpare meaning to blame, from culpa meaning fault or blame.

culpable (English): Meriting condemnation, censure or blame,...

Definitions

  1. Meriting condemnation, censure or blame,...

Ancestry of “culpable”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishculpable—
2Old Frenchculpable—
3Latinculpābilis—
4LatinculpoI blame
5Latinculpafault, defect; blame, guilt; crime
6Proto-Italickʷolpāmistake; fault
7Proto-Indo-Europeankʷolp-eh₂bend, turn
8Proto-Indo-Europeankʷelp-to bend; to curve, arch
9Proto-Indo-Europeankʷel-to turn

Words derived from “culpable”

  • culpably
  • inculpable
  • nonculpable
  • inculpably
  • unculpable
  • culpableness
  • inculpableness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷel- →