Where does “Penalty” come from?
Penalty (German) comes from English penalty, from Middle French pénalité, from French pénal, from Latin poenalis, from Latin poenā, from Ancient Greek ποινή, from Proto-Hellenic kʷoinā́, from Proto-Indo-European kʷoynéh₂ — to pay; to avenge.
Penalty (German): penalty
Definitions
- penalty
Ancestry of “Penalty”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | penalty | A legal sentence; A punishment for violating... |
| 2 | Middle French | pénalité | — |
| 3 | French | pénal | penal, criminal |
| 4 | Latin | poenalis | penal; of or pertaining to punishment |
| 5 | Latin | poenā | penalty, punishment |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ποινή | blood money, wergeld; fine, ransom, penalty,... |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | kʷoinā́ | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷoynéh₂ | payment; punishment, vengeance |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷey- | to pay; to avenge |