Where does “plea” come from?
Plea comes from Middle English ple, from Old French plait, from Latin placitum, the past participle of placere meaning to please or be acceptable.
plea (English): An appeal, petition, urgent prayer or entreaty;...
Definitions
- An appeal, petition, urgent prayer or entreaty;...
Ancestry of “plea”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | ple | disputation, arguing, debate; warfare, conflict,... |
| 2 | Old French | plait | agreement; argument; dispute; court |
| 3 | Latin | placitum | opinion, teaching, theory; decree, sentence,... |
| 4 | Latin | placitus | pleasing, agreeable, acceptable, agreed upon |
| 5 | Latin | placeō | to be pleasing or agreeable to; to please, to be nice; to be welcome or acceptable; to satisfy, suit in a mental rather than a sensual way |