Etymology and origin of the French word priser
priser1 to value, esteem
Etymology tree of priser1
From the same root · priser1
Pronunciation
- /pʁi.ze/[1]
Forms
priser[1] Old French preiser (about 1100), prisier (12th century) and proisier; the form priser dates from the 14th century.[2][3][4]
Etymology
The word for valuing is inherited from Old French preiser, inherited from Late Latin pretiō (“to value, appraise”), from pretium (“value, price”).[5][6][7][8] Wiktionary notes that it is not related to pris, the past participle of prendre, although speakers may now connect the two.[1]
Cognate with Italian prezzare (“to value”), Old Occitan prezar and Catalan presar, and Walloon préhî.[4][9]
Earliest recorded meaning
From the Chanson de Roland (about 1100) preiser had both the concrete sense “to assess, estimate the value of” and the figurative sense “to think highly of someone or something”.[5][6] Roland's poem says Tant nel vous sai ne preiser ne louer “I cannot value or praise him enough to you”.[4]
Semantic evolution
Of the two senses only “to think highly of” has lasted, and it is now limited to formal and literary language; the sense “to set a price on” is dated.[6][10] The reflexive se priser “to think well of oneself”, and in a passive sense “to be valued” (16th century), has disappeared except in a few literary survivals.[6]
As the verb declined, several derivatives died out, among them prisant (about 1155), prisage (13th century) and prisable (about 1278).[6] Priseur “appraiser” (1252) survives only in commissaire-priseur (1802, after huissier-priseur, 1718), the public officer who values and auctions goods.[6][7] The compound mépriser “to despise” dates from the 12th century.[7]
Timeline
- c. 1100 – Preiser appears in the Chanson de Roland.[5][6]
- 12th century – The form prisier appears.[2][3]
- 12th century – The compound mépriser is formed.[7]
- 1252 – First record of priseor “appraiser”.[6][7]
- 14th century – The form priser appears.[2][3]
- 1694 – The Académie illustrates the sense “to value goods”.[2]
- 1802 – Commissaire-priseur appears.[6]
Meanings
Verb
- (transitive, dated) To appraise, to set a price on: Le notaire fit priser les meubles.[10][5][2]
- (transitive, literary) To prize, to think highly of: Elle prisait avant tout la franchise.[10][11][12]
- Très prisé (past participle used as an adjective): much sought after or appreciated.[10][12]
Word family
- mépriser
- prisée
- priseur
- prisable
- commissaire-priseur
priser2 to take snuff
- Confidence
- Established
- Formation
- Derivation
- First attested
- 1807 J. F. Michel
- Ultimate origin
- Proto-Italic *(prai-)χend-
Etymology tree of priser2
From the same root · priser2
Pronunciation
- /pʁi.ze/[1]
Forms
priser[1]
Etymology
The word for taking snuff is from French prise (“pinch of snuff”), the noun drawn from prendre.[3][10][6][1]
Earliest recorded meaning
It is first recorded in 1807, in the sense “to breathe powdered tobacco in through the nose”.[2][6]
Semantic evolution
By analogy the verb was used of breathing in any powder (1875, Larousse), and later of drugs.[2][6] It gave priseur “snuff-taker” (1807).[6] Rey notes that the words of this group have aged along with the habit of taking snuff.[6]
Timeline
- 1807 – First record, of taking snuff.[2][6]
- 1875 – Larousse records it of breathing in other powders.[2][6]
Meanings
Verb
Related words
References
- ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
- ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
- ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
- ^ a b c d 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
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
- ^ a b c d e Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
- ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 9, 372a
- ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
- ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
- ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
- ^ a b c Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
Related etymologies
Cite this entry
“Priser.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/priser. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.
Last edited on . ·