Where does “exculpatory” come from?
Exculpatory derives from English -ory and English -y, via Middle English -y, Latin ex- (out), Latin -ia, Latin -ivus (adjective-forming suffix), Latin -ia, and Proto-Indo-European -kos.
exculpatory (English): Tending to excuse or clear of wrongdoing
Definitions
- Tending to excuse or clear of wrongdoing
Ancestry of “exculpatory”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | exculpate | To clear of or to free from guilt; exonerate |
| 2 | Latin | exculpatus | — |
| 3 | Latin | exculpo | Alternative form of exsculpō |
| 4 | Latin | culpa | fault, defect; blame, guilt; crime |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | kʷolpā | mistake; fault |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷolp-eh₂ | bend, turn |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷelp- | to bend; to curve, arch |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷel- | to turn |