Etymology Map
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Prison

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a building where people are held as punishment for crimes

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

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

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.