Etymology

prison

P3R1I1S1O1N1

Today it means: A place or institution where people are held against their will, in the US especially for long-term confinement, as of those convicted of serious crimes or otherwise considered undesirable by the government. Full definition →

Middle English prisoun ← Old English prisūn ← Old French prison
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The story

  1. Latin · derived fromprehensiōnem
  2. Old French · derived fromprison
  3. Old English · inherited fromprisūn
  4. Middle English · inherited fromprisoun
  5. English todayprison

From Middle English prisoun, prison, from Old English prisūn, a borrowing from Old French prison, from Latin prehensiōnem, accusative singular of prehensiō, from the verb prehendō. Doublet of prehension.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.