English
criminal
Criminal comes from Anglo-Norman criminal, from Late Latin criminalis, from Latin crimen ‘judgment; crime’, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *krey- ‘to sift’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*krey-‘to sift, separate’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*kréymn̥reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kreimənreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcrimen‘judgment, verdict; crime’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEcriminalis
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400criminal
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500cryminal‘relating to crime’
- Englishearliest quotation 1711criminal
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*krey-‘to sift, separate’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*kréymn̥reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kreimənreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcrimen‘judgment, verdict; crime’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEcriminalis
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400criminal
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500cryminal‘relating to crime’
- Englishearliest quotation 1711criminal
Earliest quotation: 1711, SUNDAY, March 19, 1710–1711: “Foppish and fantastic ornaments are only indications of vice,…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *krey- ‘sieve’
certain, secretary, secret, crisis, discretion, discrimination, critic, critique, discrete, discreet, riddle, discern, criterion, hypocrite, discriminate, excrement, endocrine, excretion, excrete, certitude, ridder, rime, criterium, incriminate, incrimination, 47 more
through Latin crimen ‘crime’
Today it means
adj Against the law; forbidden by law.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *krey- / criminal