Where does “guilty” come from?
Guilty comes from Middle English gulty, from Old English gyltiġ, meaning having committed an offense or transgression.
guilty (English): Responsible for a dishonest act; Judged to have...
Definitions
- Responsible for a dishonest act; Judged to have...
Ancestry of “guilty”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | gilty | — |
| 2 | Old English | gyltiġ | offending, guilty |
| 3 | Old English | gylt | guilt |
| 4 | Lithuanian | gulti | lie, lie down; fall ill, sick; wilt, droop |
| 5 | Proto-Kartvelian | gwel- | snake |
Words derived from “guilty”