Penance
/ˈpɛn.əns/noun
Voluntary self-punishment or acts of repentance done to show sorrow for wrongdoing.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Latin poena, meaning “punishment” or “penalty,” the same ancient root behind English words like pain and penal.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kwei-
“to pay, compensate, or exact payment”
Latin
Latin
poena
“penalty, punishment, fine”
Late Latin
Latin
paenitentia
“repentance, regret, penitential discipline”
Old French
Old French
penance
“religious repentance or self-imposed punishment for sin”
Middle English
English
penance
“an act of repentance or punishment imposed for sin”
Modern English
English
penance
“voluntary self-punishment or an act of repentance”