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
pry traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English prise
| 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- | pre-, before |
| 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 |
via Middle English preien
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | preien | to pray |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | preier | Alternative form of proiier |
| 3 | Old French | proiier | to pray; to pray; to beg; to implore; to beg |
| 4 | Latin | precor | I beseech, beg, pray, entreat; I wish well or ill... |
| 5 | Latin | prex | prayer; request; entreaty |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | preks | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | préḱs | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | preḱ- | to ask |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥ḱneh₂ | — |
via Proto-Brythonic prið
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-Brythonic | prið | clay, mud, earth |
| 2 | Proto-Celtic | kʷrīyess | clay |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷreh₁-iet- | — |