Prison - a taking, worn down
‘prison’ is my favourite kind of word - one that has been worn so smooth you would never guess what it is made of. Underneath is Latin ‘prehensionem’ ‘a taking, a seizing’, from ‘prehendere’ ‘to grasp’. A prison is, quite literally, ‘a taking’: the place you are seized and held.
The proof is its stiff twin. English took the same Latin noun a second time, much later and straight off the page, as ‘prehension’ - the act of grasping. So ‘prison’ and ‘prehension’ are one word that came into English twice, once by mouth and once by pen, and only the second one kept its shape. The verb behind both is the one that became ‘prendre’ and ‘prendere’ ‘to take’ across the Channel. (See also the sibling cards on ‘comprehend’ and ‘apprehend’, and the L’atelier des mots and L’Officina Radice cards on ‘prendre’ and ‘prendere’.)
Related resources
The same Latin verb, built out as full etymology resources for language learners - French ‘prendre’ - L’atelier des mots.
- Italian ‘prendere’ - L’Officina Radice
- Spanish ‘prender’ - El Taller Raíz.
