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Where does the word "surprise" come from? It comes from Old French sur prendre, and was adopted directly into English (1300s).
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Where does the word "surprise" come from? It comes from Old French sur prendre, and was adopted directly into English (1300s).
Surprise’s story begins in Old French: sur prendre meant “to overtake, to catch unexpectedly.” Literally to overtake, from sur- (over) and prendre (to take). It reached English by 1300s as surprise. Settled as the English word for an unexpected event or feeling. Today, surprise means an unexpected event, or the feeling of astonishment it causes.
- Stage 1 · Old French · medieval sur prendre "to overtake, to catch unexpectedly", literally to overtake, from sur- (over) and prendre (to take).
- Stage 2 · English · 1300s surprise "an unexpected event, or the feeling it causes", settled as the English word for an unexpected event or feeling.