English
apprentice
Apprentice comes from Old French aprentis, from Latin apprehendō ‘to lay hold upon, grasp, seize, grab, take,…’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʰed- ‘to find’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰed-‘to find’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰnédtireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*hendō‘to hold’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*praiɣendōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprehendō‘to seize’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEapprehendō‘to lay hold upon, grasp, seize, grab, take, take hold of’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400aprendre
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400aprentis
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500apprentice
- Englishearliest quotation 1961apprentice
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰed-‘to find’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰnédtireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*hendō‘to hold’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*praiɣendōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprehendō‘to seize’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEapprehendō‘to lay hold upon, grasp, seize, grab, take, take hold of’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400aprendre
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400aprentis
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500apprentice
- Englishearliest quotation 1961apprentice
Earliest quotation: 1961, C. P. Boocock, The organisation of Eastleigh Locomotive Works: “To this end a well-equipped and keenly-run apprentice training…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gʰed- ‘to find’
yet, guess, prey, predator, reprieve, predation, beget, impregnable, apprehend, prehensile, 30 more
through Proto-Italic *praiɣendō
prisoner, imprison, impresario, 12 more
through Latin prehendō ‘to seize’
prison, surprise, prize, comprehensive, comprise, comprehend, comprehension, reprehensible, 14 more
through Latin apprehendō ‘to lay hold upon, grasp, seize, grab, take,…’
Today it means
noun A trainee, especially in a skilled trade.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʰed- / apprentice