vengeance (English)
Where does "vengeance" come from?
The word vengeance traces its roots back to the Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ-, meaning 'to point out' or 'show,' which evolved into the Latin verb vindicare, meaning to avenge or justify. This passed through Old French as vengeance, shifting from a general sense of 'to avenge' into the specific English noun used today to describe a desire for retribution.
Full etymology tree
- vengeance (English), 'Revenge taken for an insult, injury, or other wrong.'
- borrowed vengeaunce (Anglo-Norman)
- inherited vengeance (Old French), 'alternative form of venjance'
- derived venge (Old French)
- inherited vengen (Middle English), 'to avenge'
- inherited vengier (Old French), 'to avenge, to take revenge (upon)'
- inherited vindicare (Latin), 'inflection of vindicō:'
- inherited vengier (Old French), 'to avenge, to take revenge (upon)'
- inherited vengen (Middle English), 'to avenge'
- suffix -ance (Old French), '-ance (suffixed used to form nouns)'
- inherited -antia (Latin)
- derived venge (Old French)
- inherited vengeance (Old French), 'alternative form of venjance'
- borrowed vengeaunce (Anglo-Norman)
Direct ancestors
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris