Etymograph

English

impugn

Impugn comes from Middle French impugner ‘to attack’, from Latin pugnō ‘fight’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pewǵ- ‘prick, punch’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pewǵ-‘prick, punch’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*puǵnosreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*pugnos‘fist’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpugnus‘fist’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpugnō‘fight’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimpugnō‘to attack, fight against’
  7. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600impugner‘to attack’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 2023impugn

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pewǵ-‘prick, punch’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*puǵnosreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*pugnos‘fist’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpugnus‘fist’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpugnō‘fight’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimpugnō‘to attack, fight against’
  7. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600impugner‘to attack’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 2023impugn

Earliest quotation: 2023, Mark Sappenfield, Governing wisely: “[The fact] that Americans’ trust in government is at…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *pewǵ- ‘prick, punch’

point, fuck, punch, fist, pivot, poignant, puncture, pygmy, pungent, punctuate, punto, compunction, pugilist, 41 more

through Latin pugnō ‘fight’

repugnant, pugnacious, 13 more

Today it means

verb To assault, attack.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pewǵ- / impugn

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