prehendo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [preˈ(ɦ)ɛn.doː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [preˈɛn.do]^[1]

Forms

prehendō (present infinitive prehendere, perfect active prehendī, supine prehēnsum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is a compound of prae- (“before”) with a verb lost as a simple word, going back to Proto-Italic *(prai-)χend- (“to seize”), from a nasal present Proto-Indo-European *gʰ-n-d- (“to grab”).^[2][3][4] Following Livingston, de Vaan explains the form as follows: *prai-χend- was contracted to *praind-, which after preverbs became *-prēnd-, from which a new simple verb prēndere was abstracted, also spelt with ⟨h⟩, as in vehemēns beside vēmēns, and shortening then gave prendere.^[2] The noun praeda “booty” belongs to the same root.^[2][1]

Cognate with Ancient Greek χανδάνω (khandánō, “to hold, contain”), Albanian gjen (“finds”) and Gothic 𐌳𐌿𐌲𐌹𐌽𐌽𐌰𐌽 (duginnan, “to begin”), and related to English get.^[2][1][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus onwards, with the contracted prendo from Terence.^[2] In the Amphitruo a husband says “I took your hand and kissed you”.^[3]

Semantic evolution

Its basic sense was to seize or grasp, also of diseases taking hold and, figuratively, of getting a grip on a subject.^[3][5] It meant to buttonhole someone in order to talk, to catch someone in the act, and to seize, arrest or capture people and animals.^[3] In war it meant to occupy a position, and poets used it for reaching a shore or overtaking someone.^[3][6] It also meant to take in with the eye and to grasp with the mind, the sense developed in its compounds.^[3]

Its compounds apprehendo, comprehendo and reprehendo gave English apprehend, English comprehend and English reprehend.^[2][7] Through French prendre and its derivatives it is behind English prison and English misprision.^[1][7]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of taking someone's hand.^[3][8]
• 190–159 BC – Terence uses the short form prendo for buttonholing someone.^[3][8]
• 234–149 BC – Cato speaks of catching an adulterous wife.^[3][8]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of occupying Pharos.^[3][8]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of reaching the shores of Italy.^[3][8]

Meanings

Verb

1. To take hold of, grasp, seize.^[3][5]
2. To catch hold of (someone to speak to him), buttonhole.^[3]
3. To catch (in the act), take by surprise.^[3]
4. To seize and carry off; to arrest; to capture (animals).^[3]
5. (military) To occupy (a position).^[3]
6. To reach (a shore); to overtake.^[3]
7. To take in with the eye; to grasp with the mind, comprehend.^[3]
8. (of trees) To take root.^[9]

Word family

• apprehendō
• comprehendō
• dēprehendō
• imprensibilis
• prehēnsiō
• prehēnsō
• prēnsiō
• reprehendō
• prēnsō
• prehensus
• prēnsus

Related words

• hedera
• praeda
• English apprehend
• English comprehend
• English prison

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
5. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
9. ^ Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn