'executioner' originates from Middle English, specifically the word 'execucioner,' where 'execution' meant 'carrying out a sentence' and '-er' denoted 'one who performs an action.'

'execucioner' transformed into the modern English word 'executioner' through the influence of the French word 'exécuteur.'

Initially, it meant 'one who carries out a sentence,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.