Etymology Map
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Punish

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means to impose a penalty for an offence

Where does the word "punish" come from? It comes from Latin punire, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
punire
Latin · ancient
"to punish"
from 'poena', penalty, the root of 'pain' and 'penal'
2
Stage 2 of 3
punir
Old French · medieval
"to punish"
its stem 'puniss-' gave the English form
3
Stage 3 of 3
punish
English · 1300s
"to penalize"
'punishing' for exhausting dates from the 1800s
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Read the full story

Punish’s story begins in Latin: punire meant “to punish.” From 'poena', penalty, the root of 'pain' and 'penal'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as punir. Its stem 'puniss-' gave the English form. It reached English by 1300s as punish. 'punishing' for exhausting dates from the 1800s. Today, punish means to impose a penalty for an offence.