Where does “victim” come from?
Victim comes from Middle French victime, from Latin victima, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wey-, a root meaning to separate or divide.
victim (English): One that is harmed—killed, injured, subjected to...
Definitions
- One that is harmed—killed, injured, subjected to...
Ancestry of “victim”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle French | victime | — |
| 2 | Latin | victima | sacrificial victim |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | weyḱ- | to enter in; to settle; settlement |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wey- | to wither; fade; to move, go ahead; to be strong;... |
Words derived from “victim”