pain

Where does the word "pain" come from? It comes from Latin poena, passing through Old French before entering English (1200s).

Pain’s story begins in Latin: poena meant “penalty.” From Greek 'poinē', blood-money. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as peine. The root of 'penal' and 'punish'. It reached English by 1200s as pain. 'pains' as effort, 'at pains', dates from the 1500s. Today, pain means physical or mental suffering.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient poena "penalty", from Greek 'poinē', blood-money.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval peine "punishment, suffering", the root of 'penal' and 'punish'.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1200s pain "punishment; suffering", 'pains' as effort, 'at pains', dates from the 1500s.