English
malefaction
Malefaction comes from Latin malefaciō ‘to do evil or harm’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmalefaciō‘to do evil or harm’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602malefaction
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmalefaciō‘to do evil or harm’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602malefaction
Earliest quotation: c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: “They have proclaim'd their malefactions.”
Linked words
through Latin malefaciō ‘to do evil or harm’
Today it means
noun A crime, an offense, an evil deed.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin malefaciō / malefaction