Where does “prance” come from?

Prance derives from Middle English prancen, from Middle English pranken, from Middle Dutch pronken, of uncertain ultimate origin.

prance (English): To spring forward on the hind legs; To strut...

Definitions

  1. To spring forward on the hind legs; To strut...

Ancestry of “prance”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishprancen—
2Middle Englishprankento prank; to trim; to adorn, arrange one's attire
3Dutchpronkento display, to show off
4Middle Dutchpronkento flaunt

Words derived from “prance”

Every word from Middle Dutch pronken →Every word from Dutch pronken →Every word from Middle English pranken →