prison English · revision 2876

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1112|origins=la prehēnsiō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈprɪz.ᵊn/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is late [[inh|ang|prisun]], [[bor|fro|prisun]], prison “captivity; a prison; a prisoner”,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) altered under the influence of pris “taken” from earlier preson,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[la|prēnsiō|t=a seizing, arrest]], contracted from prehēnsiō,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[m|la|prehendere|t=to seize, take]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[m|la|prae-|t=before]] and -hendere, from [[ine-pro|*ghend-|t=to seize, take]].^(Etymonline) The word comes from the act of arrest, not the place.^(AHD)^(AHD 2000) The verb is from the noun.^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Confinement, captivity: before 1112 in Barnhart^(Barnhart 1988) and before 1123 in the OED.^(OED 1989) A place of confinement is from probably before 1200.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In early use it often meant the condition of captivity;^(Etymonline) the main modern sense, a public building for confining criminals and others held by law, grew out of it.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) A ''prison'' was also a prisoner, from 1195,^(OED 1989) until ''prisoner'' (1350–75) replaced it after the 15th century.^(Barnhart 1988) The verb, “to imprison”, is from 1292.^(OED 1989) Figurative uses, of anything that confines, are from before 1225.^(OED 1989) ''Prison-without-bars'', an open prison, is from 1948.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1112 – confinement.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1195 – a prisoner.^(OED 1989)

+ * before 1200 – a place of confinement.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * before 1225 – figurative uses.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1292 – verb, to imprison.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1350–75 – ''prisoner''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A building where people convicted or accused of crimes are kept; a [[jail]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # A place or condition of confinement.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # The state of being imprisoned; [[captivity]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(literary)'' To imprison.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[prisonlike]]

+ * [[postprison]]

+ * [[unprison]]

+ * [[imprison]]

+ * [[prisoner]]

+ * [[prison fever]]

+ * [[prison psychosis]]

+ * [[prison camp]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[prehensile]]

+ * [[apprehend]]

+ * [[comprehend]]

+ * [[prize]]

+ * [[reprisal]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}