Etymograph

English

pen

Pen (for writing) comes from Middle English penne, from Old French penne, from Latin penna ‘feather’, ultimately PIE *peth₂- ‘to fly’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peth₂-‘to rush, fly’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*péth₂r̥‘feather, wing’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpenna‘feather’
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400penne
  5. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400penne
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500penne
  7. Englishtodaypen

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peth₂-‘to rush, fly’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*péth₂r̥‘feather, wing’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpenna‘feather’
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400penne
  5. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400penne
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500penne
  7. Englishtodaypen

The story

Sense “prison” originally figurative extension to “enclosure for persons” (1845), later influenced by penitentiary (‘prison’), being analyzed as an abbreviation (1884).

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *bend- ‘pointed peg, nail, edge’

pin, 1 more

Another origin of pen

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*pennōreconstructedearlier origin unknown
  2. Old Englishc. 450–1150penn‘enclosure, pen’
  3. Old English, derivedc. 450–1150*pennian‘to close, lock, bolt’reconstructed
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500pennen‘to close in, trap’
  5. Englishtodaypen

From Middle English pennen, from Old English *pennian (“to close, lock, bolt”, attested in onpennian (‘to open’)), derived from penn (see above).

Another origin of pen

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peth₂-‘to fly’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*péth₂r̥ ~ pth₂én-‘feather, wing’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*petnāreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpenna‘feather’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400penne‘feather’
  6. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400penne
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500penne‘a pen or other implement for writing’
  8. Englishtodaypen

Not related to pencil.

Today it means

noun An enclosure (enclosed area) used to contain domesticated animals, especially sheep or cattle.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- / pen

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