punish
/ˈpʌnɪʃ/
verb
Origin
Latin
punire — to punish, inflict a penalty
Overview
Meaning Now
- To inflict a penalty or sanction on someone for an offense or wrongdoing.
- To treat someone or something harshly or severely.
Literal older meaning
to make payment or compensation
Language path
Latin → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
punisshen
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The word stems from the Latin 'poena', which originally referred to a 'blood price' or a fine paid to compensate for a grievance. This links 'punish' etymologically to 'pain' and 'penance'.
Evolution
- Latin
poena
“penalty, satisfaction, punishment”
Root noun for 'punishment'.
- Latin
punire
“to inflict a penalty”
- Old French
puniss-
“stem of punir”
Basis for Middle English borrowing.
- Middle English
punisshen
“to cause suffering as retribution”
Connections
Word parts
pun
root
penalty
-ish
suffix
infinitive marker from French -iss-
Related across languages
French
punir
to punish
Spanish
punir
to punish
Italian
punire
to punish
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Related to punish
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.