pray English · revision 5501

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1225, King Horn|origins=la prex}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /preɪ/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|preien]], [[bor|fro|preier]] (modern French prier),^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) from [[la-vul|*precāre]], an alteration of [[m|la|precārī|t=to ask earnestly, beg, entreat]],^(Etymonline)^(NODE 1998)^(Hoad 1986) from [[m|la|prex|t=prayer, request]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[ine-pro|*prek-|t=to ask, request]].^(Etymonline) Latin prex is cognate with Sanskrit pṛccháti “asks” and German fragen “to ask”.^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) It is related to [[precarious]] and [[prayer]].^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ To ask earnestly, to beg someone: before 1225 in King Horn according to Barnhart, the early 13th century in Etymonline.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The religious sense, to pray to God or a saint, is from about 1300.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) In the early 14th century it also meant to invite, a sense now obsolete.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) The polite phrase ''I pray you'', “please”, is from the late 14th century, and ''I pray thee'' from about 1300; in the 16th century it was shortened to ''pray'', as in ''pray tell''.^(Etymonline) The rare noun, an act of praying, is from about 1325.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1225 – to ask earnestly.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1300 – to pray to God.^(Etymonline)

+ * early 14th century – to invite.^(Etymonline)

+ * late 14th century – ''I pray you''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 16th century – ''pray'', please.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To speak to [[God]] or a god, to give thanks or ask for help.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To hope very much for something: ''we're praying for good weather''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(formal)'' To ask someone earnestly; to [[beg]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # ''(archaic)'' Please, if you will: ''pray be seated''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[prayingly]]

+ * [[unpraying]]

+ * [[outpray]]

+ * [[prayer]]

+ * [[prithee]]

+ * [[praying mantis]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[precarious]]

+ * [[imprecation]]

+ * [[deprecate]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ In Surrey dialect a pray was a narrow footbridge of a plank and a rail, usually over a ford.^(Wright 1898) The [[prey]] of a hunting animal is a different word, from Latin praeda.^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}