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Etymology and origin of the French word prise

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 1119 Philippe de Thaon More words from the 12th century
Ultimate origin
Latin prehendō
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin prehendō
French prendre
French prise
Italian prendere
Derivations
From the same root
Latin apprehendō ← prehendō
Latin comprehendō ← prehendō
Latin dēprehendō ← prehendō
Latin praeda ← prehendō
Latin prehēnsiō ← prehendō
Latin prēnsō ← prehendō
Latin reprehendō ← prehendō
Latin superprehendō ← prehendō
French entreprendre ← prendre
French surprendre ← prendre
Italian sorpresa ← prendere

Pronunciation

Forms

prise f (plural prises)[1] Middle French also prinse (1600).[2]

Etymology

It is the feminine past participle used as a noun, from French prendre.[2][3][4][1] The verb goes back to Latin prehendō (“to grasp, seize”), through its participle prensus.[5] Cognate with Occitan presa, Spanish presa and Italian presa.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Around 1119, in Philippe de Thaon, it names game caught in hunting;[6][4] the active sense “capture of an animal” is found in Chrétien de Troyes's Guillaume d'Angleterre about 1165.[2][6]

Semantic evolution

In Old French it meant the act of bringing something into one's power and of taking prisoners (1160–1174), and by metonymy the prisoners themselves (about 1155);[6] the AND has it in Anglo-Norman from 1113–1119 for seizure, plunder, arrest and catch.[7] The sense of seizing goods dates from 1174–1178, and the taking of a stronghold lives on in la prise de la Bastille (1789).[2][6]

From Middle French it also named a device that takes something: prise de la rivière (1395), a sluice, then prise d'eau (1600), and later prise d'air (1898), prise de courant (1902) and prise de terre (1924).[6][2] In the 16th century it became a term of wrestling, the way of seizing an opponent (1548), and the place where one can be seized (1567), hence donner prise (1614) and avoir prise (1606); climbers have used it for a hold in the rock since 1889.[6][2][8]

Être aux prises avec (1580) first took an abstract noun, a disease in Montaigne, and a person from 1672;[6][2] en venir aux prises (1668) and mettre aux prises (1687) followed, as did lâcher prise (1653) and prise de bec (1842).[6][2] Many phrases turn a phrase with prendre into a noun: prise de possession (1560), prise d'habit (1680), prise de tabac (1740), prise de vue (1897), prise de conscience (1918), prise en charge (1957) and prise de position (1952).[6][2]

Timeline

  • c. 1119 – Philippe de Thaon uses it for game caught in hunting.[6][4]
  • c. 1165 – “Capture of an animal” in Chrétien de Troyes.[2]
  • 1174–1178 – Étienne de Fougères uses it for a seizure of goods.[2]
  • 1395 – Prise de la rivière, a sluice.[6]
  • 1548 – Noël du Fail uses it for a wrestling hold.[2][6]
  • 1580 – Montaigne writes être aux prises avec a disease.[2][6]
  • 1653 – First record of lâcher prise.[2][6]
  • 1740 – Prise de tabac “pinch of snuff”.[6]
  • 1842 – Prise de bec in Balzac.[2][6]
  • 1889 – A climbing hold.[6][8]
  • 1902 – Prise de courant “electric socket”.[2][6]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The capture or taking of a place or a person, especially by force: la prise de la Bastille.[9][2]
  2. A person, animal or thing caught or seized, as a fisherman's catch.[9]
  3. A way of seizing and holding an opponent in wrestling or judo, a hold.[10][11][1]
  4. A place that offers a grip, as a hold on a rock or a climbing wall.[6][1]
  5. Prise de bec: a squabble, an argument.[10][11]
  6. Être aux prises avec: to be fighting with someone, or to be struggling with difficulties.[10][11]
  7. Lâcher prise: to let go, literally or figuratively.[5][6]
  8. A dose of medicine taken at one time, or a pinch of snuff.[9][6]
  9. (electricity) A socket, short for prise de courant.[1][6]
  10. With a noun, the act named by the phrase with prendre: prise de conscience, prise de position.[9][2]
  11. (film) A take.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  5. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
  8. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  9. ^ a b c d Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
  10. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  11. ^ a b c Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
Cite this entry

“Prise.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/prise. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·