English
pardon
Pardon comes from Old French pardoner ‘to pardon’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *per-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*peri-reconstructed
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEperdōnāre
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400pardoner‘to pardon’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500pardonen
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1598pardon
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*peri-reconstructed
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEperdōnāre
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400pardoner‘to pardon’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500pardonen
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1598pardon
Earliest quotation: c. 1596–1598, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice: “I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it.”
The story
From Middle English pardonen, from Old French pardoner (modern French pardonner), from Late Latin perdōnāre, from per- + dōnāre, possibly a calque (if not vice-versa) of a Germanic word represented by Frankish *firgeban (‘to forgive, give up completely’), from *fir- + *geban.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *per-
first, before, support, per, report, further, price, private, press, far, practice, opportunity, pre, prior, prime, appreciate, port, primary, fear, prize, pregnant, practical, forth, afford, precious, praise, ford, privilege, interpretation, ferry, pirate, porch, primitive, prix, parade, fare, interpreter, pragmatic, par, privy, 158 more
Today it means
noun Forgiveness for an offence.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *per- / pardon