Added 9 October 2026
pardon
/ˈpɑːdn̩/ noun
Latin root: perdōnāre Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about pardon at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
verb
Origin
From Middle English pardonen, from Old French pardoner (modern French pardonner), from Late Latin perdōnāre, from per- + dōnāre, possibly a calque (if not vice-versa) of a Germanic word represented by Frankish *firgeban (“to forgive, give up completely”), from *fir- + *geban. Akin to Old High German fargeban, firgeban (“to forgive”), Old English forġiefan (“to forgive”). More at forgive.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)