repentance
/rɪˈpɛntəns/
noun
Origin
Latin
repoenitere — to feel strong regret
Overview
Meaning Now
- The action of repenting; sincere regret or remorse for one's wrongdoings.
- A change of mind or direction, especially with reference to moral or spiritual behavior.
Literal older meaning
to feel pain or sorrow again
Language path
Latin → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
repentance
Earliest period
13th century
Journey
The word has deep roots in both legalistic and religious frameworks of the Middle Ages, where 'poena' (penalty) was inextricably linked to the requirement of contrition before absolution.
Evolution
- Latin
poenitere
“to make sorry”
Infinitive form derived from poena (punishment, penalty).
- Vulgar Latin
repoenitere
“to feel regret again”
Prefix 're-' added for intensive sense.
- Old French
repentance
“remorse, sorrow”
Standardized noun form in Old French.
- Middle English
repentance
“regret for sin”
Adopted following the Norman Conquest.
Connections
Word parts
re-
prefix
again, or intensive
pent
root
to regret, from Latin poenitere
-ance
suffix
state or quality
Related across languages
French
repentir
to repent
Italian
ripentirsi
to repent
Spanish
arrepentirse
to repent
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Related to repentance
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.