Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “prankful” come from?

prankful (English) comes from English prank, from Middle English pranken, from Dutch pronken, from Middle Dutch pronken — to flaunt.

prankful (English): Full of pranks; mischievous

Definitions

  1. Full of pranks; mischievous

Ancestry of “prankful”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishprankA practical joke or mischievous trick; An evil...
2Middle Englishprankento prank; to trim; to adorn, arrange one's attire
3Dutchpronkento display, to show off
4Middle Dutchpronkento flaunt
Every word from Middle Dutch pronken →