Etymology Explorer › Old French

Where does “prison” come from?

prison (Old French) comes from Latin prehensiō, from Latin -tiō, from Latin dissertātiō, from Latin dissertus, from Latin disserere, from Latin dis-, from Latin calceus, from Latin calx — small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble.

prison (Old French): prison; prisoner

Definitions

  1. prison; prisoner

Ancestry of “prison”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinprehensiō—
2Latin-tiō—
3Latindissertātiō—
4Latindissertusarranged, disposed; explained
5Latindissereresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
6Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
7Latincalceusshoe
8Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
9Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble

Words derived from “prison”

  • prison
  • prisoner
  • imprison
  • misprision
  • prisonhouse
  • prisonlike
  • prisonment
  • imprisonable
  • postprison
  • nonprison
  • antiprison
  • emprisonment
  • unimprisonable
  • stateprison
  • prisonous
  • reimprison
  • disimprison
  • nonprisoner
  • emprison
  • imprisoner
  • disimprisonment
  • unprison
  • nonimprisonable
  • prisonguard
Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ →