innocent English · revision 5119

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=a. 1340|origins=la innocens}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈɪn.ə.sənt/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|innocent]], [[bor|fro|innocent]] and directly from [[la|innocēns|t=not guilty, harmless]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(NODE 1998) from in- “not” and nocēns, present participle of nocēre “to harm”,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Cresswell 2021) from [[ine-pro|*nek-|t=death]].^(Etymonline) It is related to [[noxious]], [[innocuous]], [[nuisance]] and [[obnoxious]].^(Cresswell 2021)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Doing no evil, free from sin or guilt: before 1340 in the OED, 1340 in the Ayenbite of Inwyt in Barnhart.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988) The noun, a person free from sin, especially a young child, is from about 1200 in Etymonline.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Not guilty of a particular crime is from 1382 in the OED, the late 14th century in Etymonline,^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) and childlike, simple or artless also from 1382 (about 1385 in Chaucer's Troilus in Barnhart).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988) Lacking intelligence, half-witted, is from 1548, a sense kept in dialect.^(OED 1989)^(Wright 1898) Of things, harmless, is from 1662.^(OED 1989)^(Hoad 1986) The humorous “free from, devoid of”, as in ''innocent of grammar'', is from 1706.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) The Holy Innocents, the children killed by Herod, are from the early 14th century.^(Etymonline) Indo-European words for “innocent” are generally negative forms of the word for “guilty”.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * a. 1340 – free from sin.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1382 – not guilty of a crime.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1382 – naive.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1548 – half-witted.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1662 – harmless.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1706 – devoid of.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Not guilty of a crime.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Having no experience of evil; [[naive]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Not meant to cause harm: ''an innocent remark''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Suffering harm without being involved: ''innocent bystanders''.^(Collins 2023)

+ # Free from sin.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A person, especially a child, who is free from evil.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A simple or inexperienced person.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[innocently]]

+ * [[uninnocent]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[innocence]]

+ * [[innocuous]]

+ * [[noxious]]

+ * [[nuisance]]

+ * [[obnoxious]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}