Where does “please” come from?
Please comes from Middle English plesen, from Old French plere and plaire, ultimately from Latin placere meaning "to be pleasing or acceptable."
please (English): To make happy or satisfy; to give pleasure to; To...
Definitions
- To make happy or satisfy; to give pleasure to; To...
Ancestry of “please”, step by step
please traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English ED
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ED | Initialism of erectile dysfunction; Initialism of... |
| 2 | Japanese | エンディング | ending, especially of a broadcast or performance |
| 3 | English | ending | A termination or conclusion; The last part of... |
| 4 | Middle English | ending | Alternative form of endyng |
| 5 | Middle English | endyng | An ending, termination, or conclusion;... |
| 6 | Old English | endung | ending |
| 7 | Old English | endian | to end, make an end of; to finish, complete; to... |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | andijōną | to end, bring to an end, finish |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | andijaz | end |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂entíos | front; forehead |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |
via German Bitte
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Bitte | request |
| 2 | German | Bete | beet |
| 3 | Middle Low German | bete | — |
| 4 | Latin | bēta | A beet |
| 5 | Latin | -ina | nominative feminine singular of -īnus; nominative... |
| 6 | Latin | -īnus | of or pertaining to; -ine |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | -īnos | of/belonging to |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |