Etymology

punishment

pun·ish·ment
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Today it means: The act (action) or process of punishing, imposing and/or applying a sanction, typically by an authority or a person in authority (for example: a parent or teacher), especially when disappointed or dissatisfied with the behavior or actions of a child, student, or someone else being looked after. Full definition →

Middle English punishement ← Old French punissement
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The story

  1. Old French · derived frompunissement
  2. Middle English · inherited frompunishement
  3. English todaypunishment

From Middle English punishement, from Old French punissement, from punir (“to punish”). Equivalent to punish + -ment. Displaced native Old English wīte.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.