Where does “plead” come from?
Plead comes from Middle English pleden, from Old French plaider, from Old French plait meaning "agreement," from Latin placitum, past participle of placere meaning "to please or satisfy."
plead (English): To present (an argument or a plea), especially in a legal case
Definitions
- To present (an argument or a plea), especially in a legal case
Ancestry of “plead”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | pleden | — |
| 2 | Old French | plaidier | to implore; to beg |
| 3 | Latin | placitare | — |
| 4 | Latin | placitum | opinion, teaching, theory; decree, sentence,... |
| 5 | Latin | placitus | pleasing, agreeable, acceptable, agreed upon |
| 6 | 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 |