purchase

The story

1. Latin · derived frompro-
2. Anglo-Norman · derived frompurchacer“seek to obtain”
3. Middle English · inherited frompurchasen
4. English todaypurchase

From Middle English purchasen, from Anglo-Norman purchacer (“seek to obtain”) from pur- (from Latin pro-) + chac(i)er (“to chase, pursue”). Compare Old French porchacier (“to follow, to chase”), which has given French pourchasser (“to chase without relent”).

Words from the same roots