Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “imprison” come from?

Imprison comes from Middle English emprisounen, from Old French emprisonner, combining Old French en- with a root ultimately from Proto-Indo-European gʰed-.

imprison (English): To put in or as if in prison; confine

Definitions

  1. To put in or as if in prison; confine

Ancestry of “imprison”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishimprisonen—
2Old Frenchemprisonnerto imprison
3Old Frenchprisonprison; prisoner
4Latinprehensiō—
5Latin-tiō—
6Latindissertātiō—
7Latindissertusarranged, disposed; explained
8Latindissereresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
9Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
10Latincalceusshoe
11Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
12Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble

Words derived from “imprison”

  • imprisonable
  • unimprisonable
  • reimprison
  • disimprison
  • imprisoner
  • disimprisonment
  • nonimprisonable
  • imprisonest
  • imprisoneth
  • unimprison
Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ →