Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “punish” come from?

Punish comes from Middle English punischen, from Old French punir, from Latin punīre meaning to cause pain or suffering.

punish (English): To cause to suffer for crime or misconduct, to...

Definitions

  1. To cause to suffer for crime or misconduct, to...

Ancestry of “punish”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishpunischen—
2Old Frenchpuniss-—
3Old Frenchpunirto punish
4Latinpuniō—
5Latinpoenā—
6Ancient Greekποινήblood money, wergeld; fine, ransom, penalty,...
7Proto-Hellenickʷoinā́—
8Proto-Indo-Europeankʷoynéh₂payment; punishment, vengeance
9Proto-Indo-Europeankʷey-to pay; to avenge

Words derived from “punish”

  • punishing
  • punishable
  • punisher
  • unpunishable
  • punishability
  • punisheth
  • punishingly
  • punishest
  • dispunishable
  • punishably
  • punishee
  • nonpunishable
  • punishableness
  • unpunishably
  • repunish
  • punishingness
  • outpunish
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷey- →