Where does “praying” come from?
Pray comes from Middle English preien, from Anglo-Norman preier, from Latin precāri meaning to ask or beseech, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European per-.
praying (English): An act of saying a prayer; present participle of...
Definitions
- An act of saying a prayer; present participle of...
Ancestry of “praying”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | pray | To direct words, thoughts, or one's attention to... |
| 2 | Middle English | preien | to pray |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | preier | Alternative form of proiier |
| 4 | Old French | proiier | to pray; to pray; to beg; to implore; to beg |
| 5 | Latin | precor | I beseech, beg, pray, entreat; I wish well or ill... |
| 6 | Latin | prex | prayer; request; entreaty |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | preks | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | préḱs | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | preḱ- | to ask |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥ḱneh₂ | — |
Words derived from “praying”