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Origin and history of condemn

condemn(v.)

early 14c., condempnen "to blame, censure;" mid-14c., "pronounce judgment against," from Old French condamner, condemner "to condemn" (11c.) and directly from Latin condemnare, condempnare "to sentence, doom, blame, disapprove," from assimilated form of com-, here perhaps an intensive prefix (see com-), + damnare "to harm, damage" (see damn (v.)). Old English in this sense had fordeman "foredoom."

From late 14c. as "hold to be reprehensible or intolerable," also "afford occasion for condemnation, bear witness against." It is attested from 1705 as "adjudge or pronounce as forfeited" (as a prize of war, etc.).

It is recorded by 1833 in American English in the sense of "judicially take (land, etc.) for potential public use." It is recorded by 1745 as "judge or pronounce (a building, etc.) to be unfit for use or service." Related: Condemned; condemning.

also from early 14c.

Entries linking to condemn

condemned(adj.)

1540s, of persons, "found guilty, at fault, under sentence, doomed," past-participle adjective from condemn. Of things or property, "found unfit for use, adjudged to be unwholesome, dangerous, etc.," from 1798.

damn(v.)

Middle English dampnen, also damnen, dammen, late 13c. as a legal term, "to condemn, declare guilty, convict;" c. 1300 in the theological sense of "doom to punishment in a future state," from Old French damner "damn, condemn; convict, blame; injure," derivative of Latin damnare "to adjudge guilty; to doom; to condemn, blame, reject," from noun damnum "damage, hurt, harm; loss, injury; a fine, penalty," from Proto-Italic *dapno-, possibly from an ancient religious term from PIE *dap- "to apportion in exchange" [Watkins] or *dhp-no- "expense, investment" [de Vaan]. The -p- in the English word disappeared 16c.

The legal meaning "pronounce judgment upon" evolved in the Latin word. The optative expletive use likely is as old as the theological sense. Damn and its derivatives generally were avoided in print from 18c. to 1930s (the famous line in the film version of "Gone with the Wind" was a breakthrough and required much effort by the studio). Meaning "judge or pronounce (a work) to be bad by public expression" is from 1650s; to damn with faint praise is from Pope.

The noun is recorded from 1610s, "utterance of the word 'damn.'" To be not worth a damn is from 1817. To not give (or care) a damn is by 1760. The adjective is 1775, short for damned; Damn Yankee, the characteristic Southern U.S. term for "Northerner," is attested by 1812 (as damned). Related: Damning.

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reprobate
early 15c., "rejected as worthless," from Late Latin reprobatus, past participle of reprobare "disapprove, reject, condemn," from Latin re- "back, again," here perhaps indicating "opposite of, reversal of previous condition" (see re-) + probare "prove to be worthy" (see probate (
objurgate
"to chide, reprove," 1610s, from Latin obiurgatus, past participle of obiurgare "to chide, rebuke," from ob- (see ob-) + iurgare "to quarrel, scold," from phrase iure agere "to deal in a lawsuit," from ablative of ius "right; law; suit" (see just (adj.)) + agere "to set in motion
sentence
c. 1200, "doctrine, authoritative teaching; an authoritative pronouncement," from Old French sentence "judgment, decision; meaning; aphorism, maxim; statement of authority" (12c.) and directly from Latin sententia "thought, way of thinking, opinion; judgment, decision," also "a t
reprove
accuse, charge as a fault," from Old French reprover "accuse, blame" (12c.), from Late Latin reprobare "disapprove, reject, condemn...From mid-14c. as "deliver a rebuke, admonish;" late 14c. as "disapprove, condemn, find fault with."...
blame
responsibility on for something deemed wrong," from Old French blasmer (12c., Modern French blâmer) "to rebuke, reprimand, condemn...
reprobation
nominative reprobatio) "rejection, reprobation," noun of action from past-participle stem of reprobare "disapprove, reject, condemn...
inquiry
is one word of caution, however, to be given to those who renounce inquiry; it is that they cannot retain the right to condemn...
convict
mid-14c., "to convince by arguments, convince of wrongdoing or sin" (a sense now obsolete), from Latin convictus, past participle of convincere "to 'overcome' in argument, to overcome decisively; to convict of crime or error," from assimilated form of com-, here perhaps an intens
attach
mid-14c. (mid-13c. in Anglo-Latin), "to take or seize (property or goods) by law," a legal term, from Old French atachier "fasten; arrest" (11c.), earlier estachier "to attach, fix; stake up, support" (Modern French attacher, also compare Italian attaccare), from a- "to" (see ad-
confiscate
1550s, "to appropriate for or adjudge to be forfeit to the treasury," in reference to the goods or estate of a traitor or criminal, from Latin confiscatus, past participle of confiscare, from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + fiscus "public treasury," original

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