English
innocent
Innocent comes from Old French innocent, from Latin innocēns ‘harmless’, from in- + nocēns, from noceō ‘to hurt’, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *neḱ- ‘to perish’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*neḱ-‘perish’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*noḱéyeti‘to cause to perish, harm’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*nokeō‘to harm’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnoceō‘to hurt’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEnocēns‘harmful’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinnocēns‘harmless’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400innocent‘innocent’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1606same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*neḱ-‘perish’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*noḱéyeti‘to cause to perish, harm’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*nokeō‘to harm’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnoceō‘to hurt’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEnocēns‘harmful’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinnocēns‘harmless’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400innocent‘innocent’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1606same form
Earliest quotation: c. 1606, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Macbeth: “to offer up a weak, poor, innocent lamb to…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *neḱ- ‘perish, disappear’
nectar, obnoxious, necropolis, internecine, 20 more
through Latin noceō ‘to hurt’
Today it means
adj Free from guilt, sin, or immorality.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *neḱ- / innocent