English
convict
Convict comes from Latin convictus ‘convinced’, from vincō ‘conquer, win’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyk- ‘to sift, separate’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weyk-‘to sift, separate’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*winékti ~ *winkéntireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*winkō‘to conquer, overcome’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvincō‘conquer, win’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEconvincō‘to convict’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEconvictus‘convinced’past participle of convincō
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400convicter
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500convicten
- Englishearliest quotation 1936convict
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weyk-‘to sift, separate’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*winékti ~ *winkéntireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*winkō‘to conquer, overcome’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvincō‘conquer, win’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEconvincō‘to convict’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEconvictus‘convinced’past participle of convincō
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400convicter
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500convicten
- Englishearliest quotation 1936convict
Earliest quotation: 1936, Robert Frost, The Vindictives: “And his subjects wrung all they could wring /…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *weyk- ‘to sift, separate’
province, weakness, witch, victim, wicked, wo, victor, iconic, icon, wight, weakly, vicar, wile, waw, ancona, 33 more
through Latin vincō ‘conquer, win’
victory, invincible, victorious, eviction, vanquish, evict, 11 more
Today it means
verb To find guilty, as a result of legal proceedings, or (informal) in a moral sense.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *weyk- / convict