Etymologically
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crimen

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈkriː.mɛn][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkriː.men][1]

Forms

crīmen n (genitive crīminis); third declension[1]

Etymology

It is probably from Latin cernō (“to sift, decide”) + -men, a noun of the root of cernere.[2][3] De Vaan lists it among the derivatives of cernō and reconstructs a neuter Proto-Indo-European *(-)krei-mn̥ (“a sifting, decision”), from Proto-Indo-European *krei- (“to sift, separate”).[3][1] Compare Ancient Greek κρῖμα (krîma, “judgment”).[1][4] Brugmann and others separated it from both, but the TLL doubts this.[5] Köbler mentions a root *ker- “to croak” as an alternative.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus,[3] who wishes that people who spread and listen to accusations might all be hanged.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[6]

Semantic evolution

Its first sense was an indictment, charge or accusation, and Lewis and Short take the original meaning to have been a judicial decision, like Greek krîma.[2][7] From the charge it passed to a matter for blame or reproach, and in phrases like in crīmen venīre “to come under accusation”.[2] Only later, from Ovid onwards, did it become the misdeed itself, a crime.[2]

Isidore derived it from carēre, “to lack”, for offences that do not kill but bring disgrace.[8] In Christian and medieval Latin it was a sin, and a reason for rejecting a witness.[9] Old French crimne “crime, mortal sin” gave English crime in the 13th century, at first “sinfulness”.[10]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of accusations.[2][6]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero speaks of the rebuttal of a charge.[2][6]
  • 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid uses it of a misdeed, a crime.[2][6]
  • mid-13th century – English crime “sinfulness” is recorded.[10]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A charge, accusation, indictment.[2]
  2. A matter for blame, a reproach, in crīmen venīre, to be accused.[2]
  3. A misdeed, crime.[2]
  4. (Ecclesiastical Latin) A sin.[9]
  5. (Medieval Latin) A reason for ruling out a witness.[9]

Word family

  • crīmināliter
  • crīminātiō
  • crīminātor
  • crīminātrix
  • crīminō
  • crīminōsē
  • cernō
  • English crime
  • English criminal
  • English discriminate

Usage notes

Isidore says that crīmen takes its name from carendō, as theft and forgery, which do not kill but disgrace.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  4. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  5. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  6. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  8. ^ a b Isidore of Seville, Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX, ed. W. M. Lindsay (Oxford, 1911).
  9. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  10. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com