Where does “fornication” come from?
Fornication comes from Middle English fornicacioun, from Old French fornicacion, from Latin fornicatio, a noun formation using the Latin suffix -tio applied to fornix, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European -tis.
fornication (English): Sexual intercourse by people who are not married,...
Definitions
- Sexual intercourse by people who are not married,...
Ancestry of “fornication”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | fornicacioun | — |
| 2 | Old French | fornicacion | — |
| 3 | Latin | fornicatio | fornication; whoredom, prostitution |
| 4 | Latin | fornix | arch, vault; brothel |
| 5 | Latin | furnus | oven; bakery |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | fornos | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷʰr̥-nós | — |
| 8 | Indo-European | *gʷʰer- | — |