Etymology Explorer › Middle French

Where does “punitif” come from?

punitif (Middle French) comes from Latin punitivus, from Latin puniō, from Latin poenā, from Ancient Greek ποινή, from Proto-Hellenic kʷoinā́, from Proto-Indo-European kʷoynéh₂, from Proto-Indo-European kʷey- — to pay; to avenge.

Ancestry of “punitif”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinpunitivus—
2Latinpuniō—
3Latinpoenā—
4Ancient Greekποινήblood money, wergeld; fine, ransom, penalty,...
5Proto-Hellenickʷoinā́—
6Proto-Indo-Europeankʷoynéh₂payment; punishment, vengeance
7Proto-Indo-Europeankʷey-to pay; to avenge

Words derived from “punitif”

  • punitive
  • punitiveness
  • nonpunitive
  • punitively
  • intropunitive
  • nonpunitively
  • intropunitively
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷey- →