English
amnesty
Amnesty comes from Ancient Greek ἀμνηστία ‘forgetfulness’, from μνάομαι ‘remember’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mneh₂- ‘to remind’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mneh₂-‘to remind’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμνάομαιmnáomai‘remember’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEᾰ̓́μνηστος‘forgotten, forgetful’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀμνηστίαamnēstía‘forgetfulness’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEamnestia
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600amnestie
- Englishearliest quotation 2013amnesty
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mneh₂-‘to remind’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμνάομαιmnáomai‘remember’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEᾰ̓́μνηστος‘forgotten, forgetful’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀμνηστίαamnēstía‘forgetfulness’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEamnestia
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600amnestie
- Englishearliest quotation 2013amnesty
Earliest quotation: 2013, CNN Staff, Russia amnesty could free Pussy Riot, benefit Greenpeace mem: “Russian lawmakers backed a sweeping amnesty law Wednesday that…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *men- ‘to remember, mind’
music, mind, money, amount, comment, mental, mouth, remain, mention, mountain, museum, auto, mount, min, permanent, monitor, monster, mentor, monk, mint, demonstration, monetary, monument, maya, dementia, monte, muse, mosaic, summon, menace, ming, mas, mandarin, mantra, imminent, monastery, mont, mania, prominence, eminent, 126 more
through Ancient Greek μνάομαι ‘remember’
Today it means
noun Forgetfulness; cessation of remembrance of wrong; oblivion.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *mneh₂- / amnesty