Where does “penalty” come from?
Penalty comes from Middle French pénalité, from Latin poenalitas, derived from Latin poenalis (relating to punishment), ultimately from Ancient Greek ποινή (punitive payment or retribution).
penalty (English): A legal sentence; A punishment for violating...
Definitions
- A legal sentence; A punishment for violating...
Ancestry of “penalty”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | pénalité | — |
| 2 | French | pénal | penal, criminal |
| 3 | Latin | poenalis | penal; of or pertaining to punishment |
| 4 | Latin | poenā | penalty, punishment |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ποινή | blood money, wergeld; fine, ransom, penalty,... |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | kʷoinā́ | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷoynéh₂ | payment; punishment, vengeance |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷey- | to pay; to avenge |