penitentiary

The story

1. Latin · derived frompaenitentia“penitence”
2. Medieval Latin · derived frompēnitentiārius“place of penitence”
3. Middle English · inherited frompenitentiary
4. English todaypenitentiary

From Middle English penitentiary, from Medieval Latin pēnitentiārius (“place of penitence”), from Latin paenitentia (“penitence”), term used by the Quakers in Pennsylvania during the 1790s, describing a place for penitents to dwell upon their sins.

Words from the same roots