Where does “death penalty” come from?
death penalty (English) comes from English death, from Middle English deth, from Old English dēaþ, from Old English wīc, from German witz, from Middle High German witz, from Old High German wizzi, from Proto-West Germanic wītī — to see.
death penalty (English): A punishment in which the offender is put to death by the state
Definitions
- A punishment in which the offender is put to death by the state
Ancestry of “death penalty”, step by step
death penalty traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English death
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | death | The cessation of life and all associated... |
| 2 | Middle English | deth | Alternative form of deeth |
| 3 | Old English | dēaþ | death |
| 4 | Old English | wīc | dwelling place, abode; abode, dwelling-place;... |
| 5 | German | witz | joke |
| 6 | Middle High German | witz | — |
| 7 | Old High German | wizzi | — |
| 8 | Proto-West Germanic | wītī | punishment |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | witją | knowledge; reason; sense; understanding; wit |
| 10 | Proto-Germanic | *witaną | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | wóyde | to have seen, to know |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | weyd- | to see |
via English penalty
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | penalty | A legal sentence; A punishment for violating... |
| 2 | Middle French | pénalité | — |
| 3 | French | pénal | penal, criminal |
| 4 | Latin | poenalis | penal; of or pertaining to punishment |
| 5 | Latin | poenā | penalty, punishment |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ποινή | blood money, wergeld; fine, ransom, penalty,... |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | kʷoinā́ | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷoynéh₂ | payment; punishment, vengeance |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷey- | to pay; to avenge |