prayer
/prɛər/
noun
Origin
Latin
precari — to ask, beg, entreat, pray
Overview
Meaning Now
- A solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to a deity or other object of worship.
- A religious service at which members of a congregation pray together.
- An earnest hope or wish.
Literal older meaning
a thing begged or entreated
Language path
Latin → Old French → English
Earliest form
preiere
Earliest period
13th century
Journey
The word entered English following the Norman Conquest, eventually replacing the native Old English word 'bed'. While 'bed' survives in the modern verb 'bead' (as in counting beads during prayer), 'prayer' became the standard term for petitioning the divine in a Christian context.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*prek-
“to ask”
- Latin
precarius
“obtained by prayer or request”
- Vulgar Latin
*precaria
“a prayer”
Transition to noun form
- Old French
preiere
“a prayer, a request”
- Middle English
praiere
“a prayer”
- Modern English
prayer
“a solemn request”
Connections
Word parts
pray
root
to ask, entreat
-er
suffix
forming a noun from a verb
Related across languages
French
prière
prayer
Spanish
plegaria
prayer
Italian
preghiera
prayer
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.