English
damn
Damn comes from Middle English dampnen, from Old French damner, from Latin damnō ‘to condemn’, from damnum ‘loss’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deh₂p-‘to sacrifice, to lose’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dh₂pnóm‘expense’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*dapnomreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdamnum‘loss’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdamnō‘to condemn, inflict loss upon’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400damner
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500dampnen
- Englishearliest quotation 1599damn
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deh₂p-‘to sacrifice, to lose’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dh₂pnóm‘expense’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*dapnomreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdamnum‘loss’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdamnō‘to condemn, inflict loss upon’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400damner
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500dampnen
- Englishearliest quotation 1599damn
Earliest quotation: 1599, The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar: “He shall not live; look, with a spot I…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *deh₂p- ‘to sacrifice, to lose’
through Proto-Italic *dapnom
through Latin damnum ‘loss’
Today it means
verb To condemn.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *deh₂p- / damn