prison

Where does the word "prison" come from? It comes from Latin prehensio, passing through Old French before entering English (1100s).

Prison’s story begins in Latin: prehensio meant “a seizing, arrest.” From 'prehendere', to seize, the same root as 'apprehend'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as prisun. First meant captivity itself, then the place of it. It reached English by 1100s as prison. One of the earliest French words in English, recorded in the Peterborough Chronicle. Today, prison means a building where people are held as punishment for crimes.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient prehensio "a seizing, arrest", from 'prehendere', to seize, the same root as 'apprehend'.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval prisun "captivity; jail", first meant captivity itself, then the place of it.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1100s prison "a place of confinement", one of the earliest French words in English, recorded in the Peterborough Chronicle.