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perdono

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word perdono

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
4th/5th century AD, Romulus fables
Ultimate origin
Latin dōnō
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin dono
French donner
Latin perdono
French pardonner
Italian perdonare
From the same root
English pardon ← dono
Latin condono ← dono
Latin donatio ← dono
Latin donativum ← dono
French pardon ← pardonner

Forms

perdōnō (present infinitive perdōnāre, perfect active perdōnāvī, supine perdōnātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin per- (“thoroughly”) + dōnō (“to give”).[2][1] Etymonline glosses the source of the Romance verbs as “to give wholeheartedly, to remit”.[3] Wiktionary notes that it may have been the model for Proto-Germanic *fragebaną, or a calque of it.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in the Latin fables of Romulus, where the people grant life to both the shepherd and the lion.[2][1]

Semantic evolution

A glossary explains cedo “I grant” by it.[2] In Anglo-Saxon charters from the end of the 7th century it means to grant land, and Alcuin uses it of granting a homeland and honours.[4] From “grant” it came to mean remitting a payment, a penalty or a claim (vitam perdonare, to spare a life), and then excusing a person or forgiving an offence; the Dialogue of the Exchequer says that the king's remissions are commonly called perdonata.[4][5] The Romance verbs continue it: Italian perdonare (also Sardinian), French pardonner, Catalan perdonar, Spanish perdonar, Portuguese perdoar.[2] English pardon came from Old French pardon, from the verb, and directly from Medieval Latin perdonum.[3] It survived into Neo-Latin, spelled pardono, as “forgive”.[6]

Timeline

  • 4th/5th century AD – The fables of Romulus use it of granting life.[2][7][1]
  • 690 – A charter of Minster-in-Thanet uses it of granting land.[4]
  • 793 – Alcuin uses it of granting honours.[4]
  • 1203 – An English court roll uses it of remitting an amercement for a poor woman.[4]
  • c. 1300 – English borrows pardon through Old French.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. (Late Latin) To grant, give, bestow.[2][1][4]
  2. (Medieval Latin) To grant (land, a privilege or a favour); to donate.[5][4]
  3. (Medieval Latin) To remit (a payment, a duty or a penalty); to relinquish a right or claim.[5][4]
  4. (Medieval Latin) vitam perdōnāre: to spare someone's life.[5][4]
  5. (Medieval Latin) To pardon, forgive (an offence or an offender).[5][4][1]

Word family

  • perdōnātiō

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b c d e Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  6. ^ Ramminger, Johann, Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700, www.neulatein.de
  7. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de

Descendants

Cite this entry

“Perdono.” Etymologically, 23 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/perdono. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·