Where does “punishable” come from?
Punishable comes from Middle English punishen combined with Old French -able, derived from Latin -abilis, an adjective-forming suffix from Latin -i-.
punishable (English): Subject to punishment; appropriate for punishment
Definitions
- Subject to punishment; appropriate for punishment
Ancestry of “punishable”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | punish | To cause to suffer for crime or misconduct, to... |
| 2 | Middle English | punischen | — |
| 3 | Old French | puniss- | — |
| 4 | Old French | punir | to punish |
| 5 | Latin | puniō | to punish |
| 6 | Latin | poenā | penalty, punishment |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | ποινή | blood money, wergeld; fine, ransom, penalty,... |
| 8 | Proto-Hellenic | kʷoinā́ | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷoynéh₂ | payment; punishment, vengeance |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷey- | to pay; to avenge |