English
offense
Offense comes from Latin offensa ‘a striking against’, from *fendō ‘hit, thrust’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰen- ‘to strike, to kill’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷʰen-‘to strike, to kill’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fendōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsame form‘hit, thrust’reconstructed
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEoffendōas offendere, past participle‘to hit against’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEoffensa‘a striking against’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400offense
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500offence
- Englishearliest quotation 1680offense
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷʰen-‘to strike, to kill’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fendōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsame form‘hit, thrust’reconstructed
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEoffendōas offendere, past participle‘to hit against’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEoffensa‘a striking against’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400offense
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500offence
- Englishearliest quotation 1680offense
Earliest quotation: 1680, John Dryden, The Preface to Ovid’s Epistles: “Thus I have ventur'd to give my Opinion on…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰen- ‘to strike, to kill’
through Proto-Italic *fendō
through Latin *fendō ‘hit, thrust’
Today it means
noun A crime or sin.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰen- / offense