Where does “guilt” come from?
Guilt derives from Middle English gilt, from Old English gylt, whose original meaning remains uncertain.
guilt (English): Responsibility for wrongdoing; The state of...
Definitions
- Responsibility for wrongdoing; The state of...
Ancestry of “guilt”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | gilt | — |
| 2 | Old English | gylt | guilt |
| 3 | Lithuanian | gulti | lie, lie down; fall ill, sick; wilt, droop |
| 4 | Proto-Kartvelian | gwel- | snake |
Words derived from “guilt”