Baneful
/ˈbeɪn.fəl/noun
Causing harm, ruin, or death.
Did you know?Baneful comes from the same ancient root as bane, and in older English bane could mean not just harm, but a killing poison or deadly cause.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʷhen-
“to strike, kill, slay”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*banô
“slayer, killer; death, destruction”
Old English
English
bana
“slayer, murderer; cause of death”
Old English
English
bana + -ful
“full of bane; harmful, deadly”
14th Century
English
baneful
“injurious, destructive, deadly”
Modern English
English
baneful
“harmful or destructive”