English
venal
Venal comes from Latin vēnālis ‘for sale’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *wes- ‘to sell, buy’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wes-‘to sell, buy’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wósn̥‘sale, trade’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wésnosreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wesnosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvēnum‘something for sale’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEvēnālis‘for sale’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400venel
- Frenchc. 1600–presentvénal
- Englishearliest quotation 1785venal
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wes-‘to sell, buy’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wósn̥‘sale, trade’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wésnosreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wesnosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvēnum‘something for sale’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEvēnālis‘for sale’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400venel
- Frenchc. 1600–presentvénal
- Englishearliest quotation 1785venal
Earliest quotation: 1785, The Times: “Though there is a disposition in mankind, to declaim…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *wes- ‘to sell, buy’
wear, invest, vest, bison, basmati, 25 more
through Latin vēnum ‘something for sale’
Today it means
adj For sale; available for purchase.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *wes- / venal