Etymograph

English

parry

Parry comes from Old French paree ‘preparation, ceremony, parade’, and goes back to Medieval Latin parāre.

  1. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500parāre‘to ward off, guard, defend, prepare, get ready’
  2. Medieval Latin, derivedc. 600–1500parāta‘preparation, parade’
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400paree‘preparation, ceremony, parade’
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*parreereconstructed
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1944parry

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history not traced here.

Lineage

  1. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500parāre‘to ward off, guard, defend, prepare, get ready’
  2. Medieval Latin, derivedc. 600–1500parāta‘preparation, parade’
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400paree‘preparation, ceremony, parade’
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*parreereconstructed
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1944parry

Earliest quotation: 1944, and April, Some C.M.Es. I Have Known: VIII—Sir H. N. Gresley: “One had to be on one's guard when thus…”

The story

The English verb is taken from the noun. Alternative etymology derives the verb parry from French parez, the imperative form of parer (‘to fend off’), ultimately from the Medieval Latin parāre.

Linked words

through Medieval Latin parāre ‘to ward off, guard, defend, prepare, get ready’

prepare, parade, sever, parable, 1 more

Today it means

verb To avoid, deflect, or ward off (an attack, a blow, an argument, etc.).

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Medieval Latin parāre / parry

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