Etymograph

English

repugnance

Repugnance comes from Old French repugnance, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *pewǵ- ‘to punch, fist-fight’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pewǵ-1‘to punch, fist-fight’root named by Wiktionary · steps between not traced
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400repugnance1
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500repugnance1
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1661repugnance1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English repugnance
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1661, Galilæus Galilæus Lyncæus [i.e., The Systeme of the World: In Four Dialogues. […]. The Second: “[T]o make a falſe poſition paſſe for true, and…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pewǵ-Wiktionary, English repugnance‘to punch, fist-fight’root named by Wiktionary · steps between not traced
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400repugnanceWiktionary, English repugnance
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500repugnanceWiktionary, English repugnance
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1661repugnanceWiktionary, English repugnance. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1661, Galilæus Galilæus Lyncæus [i.e., The Systeme of the World: In Four Dialogues. […]. The Second: “[T]o make a falſe poſition paſſe for true, and…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *pewǵ- ‘to punch, fist-fight’

point, fuck, punch, fist, pivot, poignant, puncture, pungent, pygmy, punto, punctuate, compunction, pugilist, pugnacious, impugn, 41 more

Today it means

noun Extreme aversion, repulsion.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “repugnance”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pewǵ- / repugnance

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