Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “apprehend” come from?

Apprehend comes from Old French apprehender, from Latin apprehendere, formed from the prefix ad- and preh₂-, a Proto-Indo-European root meaning to seize or grasp.

apprehend (English): To take or seize; to take hold of; To take hold...

Definitions

  1. To take or seize; to take hold of; To take hold...

Ancestry of “apprehend”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchapprehender—
2Latinapprehenderethird-person plural perfect active indicative of...
3Latinprehendō—
4Proto-Italic*praiɣendō—
5Proto-Italicprai-—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpreh₂-before, in front
7Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed

Words derived from “apprehend”

  • apprehending
  • misapprehend
  • apprehender
  • apprehendeth
  • apprehendable
  • apprehendest
  • apprehendingly
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →