'impeach' originates from Old French, specifically the word 'empechier' (Modern French 'empêcher'), where the element 'em-' is a variant of Latin 'in-' meaning 'in' or 'into' and 'pechier' is related to Latin 'pedica' meaning 'fetter' or 'snare'.

'impeach' changed from Middle English 'impechen' (from Anglo-French/Old French 'empechier'), and eventually became the modern English word 'impeach'.

Initially it meant 'to entangle, obstruct, or impede' (literally to place in fetters), but over time it evolved into the legal sense 'to accuse or bring formal charges', and later acquired the additional sense 'to call into question credibility'.