Where does “pry” come from?
Pry comes from Middle English pryen, from Old English prīwan, of unknown origin.
pry (English): To look where one is not welcome; to be nosy; To...
Definitions
- To look where one is not welcome; to be nosy; To...
Ancestry of “pry”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | prise | An enterprise or adventure; Obsolete form of... |
| 2 | Middle English | prise | — |
| 3 | Old French | prise | seizure; taking; capture |
| 4 | Old French | prendre | to take |
| 5 | Latin | prendere | third-person plural perfect active indicative of... |
| 6 | Latin | prehendere | third-person plural perfect active indicative of... |
| 7 | Latin | prae- | before; in front; in charge |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | prai- | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |