English
justice
Justice comes from Old French justise ‘revenge’, from Latin iūstitia ‘righteousness, equity’, and ultimately from Proto-Italic *jowos ‘court of law’.
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*jowos‘court of law’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEiūs‘right’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEiūstus‘just’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEiūstitia‘righteousness’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400justise‘revenge’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500justice
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1606same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*jowos‘court of law’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEiūs‘right’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEiūstus‘just’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEiūstitia‘righteousness’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400justise‘revenge’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500justice
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1606same form
Earliest quotation: c. 1606, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Macbeth: “This even-handed justice / Commends the ingredients of our…”
The story
From Middle English justice, from Old French justise, justice (Modern French justice), from Latin iūstitia (‘righteousness, equity’), from iūstus (‘just’), from iūs (‘right’), from Proto-Italic *jowos, perhaps literally "sacred formula", a word peculiar to Latin (not general Italic) that originated in the religious cults, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂yew-. Partly displaced native Old English rihtwīsnes (Modern English righteousness < rightwiseness).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂yew- ‘right, justice, law’
yet, jurist, injurious, 26 more
through Proto-Italic *jowos ‘court of law’
jury, conjure, prejudge, 26 more
through Latin iūs ‘right’
judge, judgment, judicial, preach, juice, judiciary, prejudice, predicament, predicate, jus, judicious, adjudicate, judicature, 15 more
Today it means
noun The state or characteristic of being just or fair.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Italic *jowos / justice