innocent

The story

1. Latin · derived frominnocēns“harmless, inoffensive”
2. Old French · derived frominnocent
3. Middle English · inherited frominnocent
4. English todayinnocent

From Middle English innocent, from Old French innocent, inocent, borrowed from Latin innocēns (“harmless, inoffensive”), from in- (“not”) + nocēns, present participle of noceō (“to hurt”). By surface analysis, in- (“not”) + nocent (“harmful; guilty”). Displaced native Old English unsċyldiġ.