Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “apprentice” come from?

Apprentice comes from Middle English apprentice, from Old French aprentis, from Old French aprentif, from Old French aprendre, from Latin apprendere, from Latin apprehendere, meaning to grasp or seize, from Latin ad- prefixed to apprehendo.

apprentice (English): A trainee, especially in a skilled trade; One who...

Definitions

  1. A trainee, especially in a skilled trade; One who...

Ancestry of “apprentice”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishapprentice—
2Old Frenchaprentisapprentice
3Old Frenchaprendreto learn; to teach; to educate
4Latinapprenderethird-person plural perfect active indicative of...
5Latinapprehenderethird-person plural perfect active indicative of...
6Latinprehendō—
7Proto-Italic*praiɣendō—
8Proto-Italicprai-—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpreh₂-before, in front
10Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
11Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed

Words derived from “apprentice”

  • apprenticeship
  • apprenticehood
  • apprenticelike
  • pre-apprenticeship
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →