prier French · revision 15836

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=881, Sequence of Saint Eulalia|origins=la prex}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /pʁi.je/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''prier'''^(Wiktionary)

+ [[fro|preier]], [[m|fro|proiier]]; the infinitive ''prier'' (about 1112) was remade after the stressed forms ''je prie''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|preier]], [[inh|la-lat|precō|alt=precāre]] (6th century), from classical [[la|precor|alt=precārī|t=to pray, entreat]],^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|9, 337a) a derivative of [[m|la|prex|t=request, prayer]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The Latin noun belongs to the Indo-European root [[ine-pro|*preḱ-|t=to ask]], also seen in [[m|la|poscō|t=to demand]], [[de|fragen|t=to ask]] and [[sa|पृच्छति|tr=pṛcchati|t=he asks]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ The infinitive and the forms stressed on the ending were remade after those stressed on the stem.^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Cognate with [[it|pregare]], [[oc|pregar]] and [[ca|pregar]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(REW 1935) [[en|pray]] is from Old French “preier”.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The ''Sequence of Saint Eulalia'' (881) has ''Tuit oram que por nos degnet preier'' “let us all pray that she deign to pray for us”, of invoking God.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ About 980 it already meant “to ask”, outside religion,^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) and the courtesy formula ''je vos an pri'' is in Chrétien de Troyes (1176–1181), with ''se faire prier'' “to need coaxing” about 1170.^(TLFi) Froissart (1400–1405) uses ''prier de'' for “to invite to”, and ''prier à dîner'' survives.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) In Old French ''prier'' usually had a direct object (''prier Dieu''), while the act of praying itself was ''orer'', from Latin ''orare'', ''prier'' displaced ''orer'' in the 15th century.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(TLFi)

+

+ The present participle ''priant'' named a figure at prayer (1472) and a kneeling funeral statue (1551).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The compound ''prie-Dieu'' dates from 1603.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 881 – ''Preier'' in the ''Sequence of Saint Eulalia''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 980 – “To ask” in the ''Jonas'' fragment.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1112 – The infinitive ''prier''.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * c. 1170 – ''Se faire prier'' in Chrétien de Troyes.^(TLFi)

+ * 1400–1405 – ''Prier de'' “to invite to” in Froissart.^(TLFi)

+ * 15th century – ''Prier'' replaces ''orer''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1603 – ''Prie-Dieu''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(intransitive)'' To [[m|en|pray]]: ''prier pour les morts''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Le Robert)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To pray to (God, a saint): ''prier Dieu''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # To ask, [[m|en|beg]] (someone to do something): ''je vous prie de m'excuser'', ''je vous en prie'': please; don't mention it.^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Se faire prier'': to need coaxing, ''sans se faire prier'': willingly.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(formal)'' To invite: ''prier qqn à dîner''.^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[prie-dieu]]

+ * [[prière]]

+ * [[priant]]

+ * [[prieuse]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[précaire]]

+ * [[imprécation]]

+ * [[la|precor]]

+ * [[en|pray]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}