price English · revision 2535

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1200 (Ancrene Riwle)|origins=la pretium}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /praɪs/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|pris]], [[bor|fro|pris|t=price, value, wages, reward; honour, praise]] (modern [[m|fr|prix]]),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(SOED 2002) from [[la|pretium|t=reward, prize, value, price]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2000) Etymonline derives ''pretium'' from [[ine-pro|*pret-yo-]], a form of [[m|ine-pro|*per-]],^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2000) and Merriam-Webster gives its basic meaning as “exchange”, comparing Greek [[m|grc|προτί|tr=protí|t=toward]] and Sanskrit práti, “against, in return”.^(MWU 2024)^(Klein 1966) The verb comes partly from the noun and partly from a variant of [[prize]], “to value”, from Old French [[m|fro|prisier]].^(Etymonline)^(SOED 2002)^(Hoad 1986) Middle English ''pris'' meant “price”, “prize” and “praise”, and the three senses later split into [[praise]], ''prize'' and ''price''.^(Cresswell 2021)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Value, worth, also praise: probably before 1200, in the ''Ancrene Riwle'';^(Barnhart 1988) the money for which something is bought or sold is from before 1300^(OED 1989) or the mid-13th century.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Recompense, reward and prize are senses from about 1250,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) and in Middle English the word also meant honour, pre-eminence and superiority, all now obsolete.^(Hoad 1986) The spelling ''price'' appears before 1382.^(Barnhart 1988) In political economy the ratio of exchange of a commodity is its ''price'', from 1691.^(OED 1989) A reward offered for someone's capture is a ''price on one's head''.^(AHD) The verb meant “to value, praise” in the late 14th century, a sense that went with ''praise'',^(Etymonline) and “to set the price of” from 1382^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988) or the late 15th century.^(Etymonline) ''Price out of the market'' is from 1938.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1200 – value, worth; praise (''Ancrene Riwle'').^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1250 – recompense, reward.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * before 1300 – the money paid for a thing.^(OED 1989)

+ * before 1382 – the spelling ''price''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1382 – verb, to set the price of.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1691 – in political economy.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1938 – ''price out of the market''.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The amount of money or goods asked or given in exchange for something.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # The cost at which something is gained, such as a sacrifice.^(AHD)

+ # The amount needed to [[bribe]] someone.^(AHD)

+ # A reward offered for the capture or killing of a person.^(AHD)

+ # ''(archaic)'' Value or worth.^(AHD)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To set a price for.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+ # To find out the price of.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[priceable]]

+ * [[pricer]]

+ * [[preprice]]

+ * [[priceless]]

+ * [[pricey]]

+ * [[price-cutting]]

+ * [[pricy]]

+ * [[bride-price]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[prize]]

+ * [[praise]]

+ * [[precious]]

+ * [[appreciate]]

+ * [[depreciate]]

+ * [[interpret]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The American Heritage Dictionary distinguishes ''price'', the money needed to buy something offered for sale, from ''charge'', ''cost'' and ''expense''.^(AHD)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}