Online Etymology Dictionary

punish: 1340, from O.Fr. puniss-, extended prp. stem of punir "to punish," from L. punire "inflict a penalty on, cause pain for some offense," earlier poenire, from poena "penalty, punishment" (see penal). Colloquial meaning "to inflict heavy damage or loss" is first recorded 1801, originally in boxing. Punishing "hard-hitting" is from 1811.
strafe: 1915, "punish, attack," picked up by British soldiers from Ger. strafen "to punish" (from P.Gmc. *stræf-), in slogan Gott strafe England "May God punish England," current in Germany c.1914-16 at the start of World War I. The word used for many kinds of attack at first; meaning "shoot up ground positions from low-flying aircraft" emerged as the main sense 1942.
mulct (v.): 1483, from Fr. mulcter "to fine, punish," from L. mulctare, altered from multare "punish, to fine," from multa "penalty, fine," perhaps from Oscan or Samnite. Sense of "defraud" is first recorded 1748.
twit (v.): 1530, aphetic form of atwite, from O.E. ætwitan "to blame, reproach," from æt "at" + witan "to blame," from P.Gmc. *witanan (cf. O.E. wite, O.S. witi, O.N. viti "punishment, torture;" O.H.G. wizzi "punishment," wizan "to punish;" Du. verwijten, O.H.G. firwizan, Ger. verweisen "to reproach, reprove," Goth. fraweitan "to avenge"), from PIE base *weid- "to see." For sense evolution, cf. L. animadvertere, lit. "to give heed to, observe," later "to chastise, censure, punish." The noun meaning "foolish, stupid and ineffectual person" is first attested 1934 in British slang, popular 1950s-60s, crossed over to U.S. with British sitcoms. It probably developed from the verb sense of "reproach" but may be influenced by nitwit.
haze (v.): "subject to cruel horseplay," 1850, Amer.Eng. student slang, from earlier nautical sense of "punish by keeping at unpleasant and unnecessary hard work" (1840), perhaps from hawze "terrify, frighten, confound" (1678), from M.Fr. haser "irritate, annoy" (1450), of unknown origin.
chastize: c.1300, earlier chastien (12c.), from O.Fr. chastier, from L. castigare "to punish," lit. "to make pure" (see castigate).
"He alone may chastise who loves." [Rabindranath Tagore, "The Crescent Moon," 1913]
punitive: 1624, "inflicting or involving punishment," from Fr. punitif (16c.), from M.L. punitivus (c.1260), from L. punitus, pp. of punire (see punish).
fury: late 14c., "fierce passion," from O.Fr. furie, from L. furia "violent passion, rage, madness," related to furere "to rage, be mad." Romans used Furiæ to translate Gk. Erinyes, the collecting name for the avenging deities sent from Tartarus to punish criminals (in later accounts three in number and female). Hence, figuratively, "an angry woman" (late 14c.).
avenge: late 14c., from O.Fr. avengier, from a- "to" + vengier "take revenge" (Mod.Fr. venger), from L. vindicare "to claim, avenge, punish" (see vindicate). Related: Avenging (pp. adj., 1590s).
animadversion: 1590s, "criticism, blame," also sometimes in early use simply "notice, attention" (now obs.), from L. animadversionem (nom. animadversio) "perception, observation," noun of action from animadverte "to take cognizance of," lit. "to turn the mind to," from animum, accusative of animus "mind," + advertere "to turn to" (see advertise). The sense of "to take notice of as a fault" was in L., in fact animadverto at times was a euphemism for "to punish with death."
forgive: O.E. forgiefan "give, grant, allow," also "to give up" and "to give in marriage;" from for- "completely" + giefan "give" (see give). The modern sense of "to give up desire or power to punish" is from use of the compound as a Gmc. loan-translation of L. perdonare (cf. Du. vergeven, Ger. vergeben; see pardon).
revenge: late 14c., from O.Fr. revengier, from re-, intensive prefix, + vengier "take revenge," from L. vindicare "to lay claim to, avenge, punish" (see vindicate).
To avenge is “to get revenge” or “to take vengeance”; it suggests the administration of just punishment for a criminal or immoral act. Revenge seems to stress the idea of retaliation a bit more strongly and implies real hatred as its motivation. ["The Columbia Guide to Standard American English," 1993]
The noun is first recorded 1540s.
wretch: O.E. wrecca "wretch, stranger, exile," from P.Gmc. *wrakjan (cf. O.S. wrekkio, O.H.G. reckeo "a banished person, exile," Ger. recke "renowned warrior, hero"), related to O.E. wreccan "to drive out, punish" (see wreak). Sense of "vile, despicable person" developed in O.E., reflecting the sorry state of the outcast, as presented in much of Anglo-Saxon verse (e.g. "The Wanderer"). A Ger. word for "misery" is Elend, from O.H.G. elilenti "sojourn in a foreign land, exile."
fine (n.): c.1200, "termination," from O.Fr. fin "end," from M.L. finis "a payment in settlement, fine or tax," from L. finis "end" (see finish). Modern meaning is via sense of "sum of money paid for exemption from punishment or to compensate for injury" (c.1340, from the same sense in Anglo-Fr., 1292) and from phrases such as to make fine "make one's peace, settle a matter" (c.1300). Meaning "sum of money imposed as penalty for some offense" is first recorded 1529; the verb meaning "to punish by a fine" is from 1559.
wrack (n.): late 14c., "wrecked ship," probably from M.Du. wrak "wreck," cognate with O.E. wræc "misery, punishment," and wrecan "to punish, drive out" (see wreak). The meaning "damage, disaster, destruction" (in wrack and ruin) is from c.1408, from the O.E. word. Sense of "seaweed, etc., cast up on shore" is recorded from 1513. The verb meaning "to ruin or wreck" (originally of ships) is recorded from 1562, from earlier intrans. sense "to be shipwrecked" (1470). Often confused in this sense since 16c. with rack (1) in the verb sense of "to torture on the rack;" to wrack one's brains is thus erroneous.
wreak: O.E. wrecan "avenge," originally "to drive, drive out, punish" (class V strong verb; past tense wræc, pp. wrecen), from P.Gmc. *wrekanan (cf. O.S. wrekan, O.N. reka, O.Fris. wreka, M.Du. wreken "to drive, push, compel, pursue, throw," O.H.G. rehhan, Ger. rächen "to avenge," Goth. wrikan "to persecute"), from PIE base *werg- "to work, to do" (cf. Lith. vergas "distress," vergas "slave," O.C.S. vragu "enemy," L. urgere; see urge (v.)). Meaning "inflict or take vengeance," with on, is recorded from c.1489; that of "inflict or cause (damage or destruction)" is attested from 1817.
roll (v.): c.1300 in intrans. sense of "to move by rotating;" late 14c. as "to move (something) by turning it over and over," from roll (n.).
"The rollyng stone neuer gatherth mosse." [John Heywood, "A dialogue conteinying the nomber in effect of all the proverbes in the Englishe tongue," 1546]
Of eyes, from 1510s. Of a movie camera, "to start filming," from 1938. Sense of "to rob a stuporous drunk" is from 1873, from the action required to get to his pockets. To roll with the punches is a metaphor from boxing (1940). Rolling pin is recorded from late 15c. Heads will roll is a Hitlerism:
"If our movement is victorious there will be a revolutionary tribunal which will punish the crimes of November 1918. Then decapitated heads will roll in the sand." [1930]
punch (v.): "to drive (cattle, etc.) by poking and prodding," c.1382, from O.Fr. ponchonner "to punch, prick, stamp," from ponchon "pointed tool, piercing weapon" (see punch (n.1)). Meaning "to stab, puncture" is from c.1440. Specific meaning of "to hit with the fist" first recorded 1530, probably influenced by punish; noun sense of "a blow with the fist" is recorded by 1580. Noun in the figurative sense of "forceful, vigorous quality" is recorded from 1911. To beat (someone) to the punch is from 1923, a metaphor from boxing. Punch line is from 1921; punch-drunk is from 1915. To punch a ticket, etc., is c.1440, probably from a shortening of puncheon "pointed tool," from O.Fr. ponchon.