Etymograph

English

offend

Offend comes from Middle French offendre ‘to offend’, from Latin *fendō ‘strike’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰen-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷʰen-‘to strike, kill>’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷʰén-dʰe-tireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fendōreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsame form‘strike’reconstructed
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEoffendō‘strike, blunder, commit an offense’
  6. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600offendre‘to offend’
  7. Englishearliest quotation c. 1527–1542offend

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷʰen-‘to strike, kill>’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷʰén-dʰe-tireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fendōreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsame form‘strike’reconstructed
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEoffendō‘strike, blunder, commit an offense’
  6. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600offendre‘to offend’
  7. Englishearliest quotation c. 1527–1542offend

Earliest quotation: c. 1527–1542, Thomas Wyatt, Som fowles there be that have so perfaict ſight: “Som fowles there be that have so perfaict ſight…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰen- ‘to strike, kill>’

fence, bane, infest, 8 more

through Proto-Italic *fendō

defendant, 7 more

through Latin *fendō ‘strike’

defense, defence, defend, defensor, 8 more

Today it means

verb To hurt the feelings of; to displease; to make angry; to insult.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰen- / offend

Shirt and support for this word