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surprendre

Etymology and origin of the French word surprendre

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1130–40, Wace (sorprendre)
Ultimate origin
Latin (prehendō)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin prehendo
French prendre
French surprendre

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /syʁ.pʁɑ̃dʁ/[1]

Forms

surprendre[1] Old French sorprendre (about 1130), the usual spelling until the 16th century, surprendre from the end of the 12th century.[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is from French sur- + prendre, Old French “sor-” (see sur).[2][3][4][5][6][1] Wiktionary notes that Old French distinguished “sorprendre” “to overtake” from “sousprendre” “to catch unawares”, which later merged.[1] Littré points out that the sense “to deceive” already belongs to Low Latin “superprendere” in the “Lex Ripuaria”.[5] “Prendre” is from Latin prehendō (“to seize”).[1]

Compare Old Occitan sorprendre and Italian soprapprendere.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Wace's Conception Nostre Dame (1130–40) has deables nos a sorpris E noz cuers en tenebres mis “the devil has deceived us and put our hearts in darkness”: to trouble the mind, beguile.[7]

Semantic evolution

About 1160 the Roman d'Eneas uses it of a passion or illness seizing someone, and of an unexpected armed attack.[7][2] Chrétien de Troyes (1176–81) has it for coming upon someone unexpectedly and for catching someone in the act (Érec).[7] Surprendre la bonne foi de qqn (1663) keeps the old sense “to abuse”.[2] In 1538 it meant to intercept a letter, and in 1650 to obtain a permission by underhand means, senses now lost.[2] From 1663 it meant to discover by chance what someone hides, and, from 1707 to visit unexpectedly (Lesage).[2][4] Its participle gave surprise and surprenant.[1]

Timeline

  • 1130–40 – Sorprendre, to beguile, Wace.[7]
  • c. 1160 – Of an unexpected attack, Eneas.[7]
  • 1176–81 – To come upon unexpectedly, Chrétien de Troyes.[7]
  • end of the 12th century – The form surprendre.[2]
  • 1538 – To intercept a letter.[2]
  • 1663 – Surprendre la bonne foi.[2]
  • 1707 – To visit unexpectedly, Lesage.[4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To surprise, astonish: sa réaction m'a surpris, être surpris de.[1][8]
  2. To catch (someone) in the act, catch out: surprendre un voleur.[1][2]
  3. To catch unawares, take by surprise: l'orage nous a surpris, surprendre l'ennemi.[7][3]
  4. To come upon unexpectedly; to drop in on.[7][4]
  5. To discover, overhear (something hidden): surprendre une conversation, surprendre un regard.[1][2]
  6. Surprendre la bonne foi de qqn: to abuse someone's trust.[2]

Word family

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 9, 350b
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h 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
  8. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
Cite this entry

“Surprendre.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/surprendre. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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