Where does “crime” come from?
crime (Middle English) comes from Middle English cryme, from Old French crime, from Latin crīmen, from Proto-Italic kreimen, from Proto-Indo-European kréymn̥, from Proto-Indo-European krey- — to sift, separate, divide.
crime (Middle English): Alternative form of cryme
Definitions
- Alternative form of cryme
Ancestry of “crime”, step by step
crime traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English cryme
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | cryme | A criminal action or decision; that which is... |
| 2 | Old French | crime | — |
| 3 | Latin | crīmen | a judicial decision, verdict, or judgment |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | kreimen | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | kréymn̥ | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | krey- | to sift, separate, divide |
via Old French crimne
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | crimne | — |