Etymologically
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prayer

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: UK /preə/, US /prer/[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English preiere, borrowed from Old French preiere, prier,[2][3][4] from Medieval Latin precaria (“petition, prayer”), a noun use of the feminine of Latin precārius “obtained by prayer, given as a favour”,[2][4] from precārī (“to ask, beg, pray”) and prex (“prayer”),[2][4] from Proto-Indo-European *prek- (“to ask, entreat”).[2] It is related to pray and precarious.[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

A solemn request to God, and the practice of praying: before 1300 in the OED, about 1300 in Etymonline, where the first sense is an earnest request or entreaty.[5][2]

Semantic evolution

A devout petition to God, the Lord's Prayer and the practice of praying are all from the mid-14th century,[2] an entreaty to a person from about 1350,[5] and a set form of words used in praying from 1389.[5] Prayers as earnest good wishes for someone are from 1597.[5] Not have a prayer, to have no chance, is from 1941.[2][5]

Timeline

  • a. 1300 – a request to God.[5]
  • c. 1350 – an entreaty to a person.[5]
  • 1389 – a set form of prayer.[5]
  • 1941 – not have a prayer.[2][5]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A request or words of thanks or praise addressed to God or a god.
  2. The act of praying.
  3. A set form of words used in praying: the Lord's Prayer.
  4. An earnest hope or request.
  5. (prayers) A religious service of prayer.

Word family

  • prayerless
  • prayerlessly
  • prayerlessness
  • prayerful
  • evening prayer
  • house of prayer
  • morning prayer
  • prayer beads
  • pray
  • precarious
  • deprecate
  • imprecation

Usage notes

Prayer, one who prays, from about 1440, is a different word, an agent noun from the verb pray, pronounced as two syllables.[5][2][1]

References

  1. ^ a b Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press