English
pierce
Pierce comes from Old French percier ‘to pierce’.
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400percier‘to pierce’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500perce
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1598pierce
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400percier‘to pierce’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500perce
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1598pierce
Earliest quotation: c. 1596–1598, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice: “Can no prayers pierce thee?”
The story
From Middle English perce, from conjugated forms of Old French percier such as (jeo) pierce (‘I pierce’), probably from Vulgar Latin *pertūsiō, from Latin pertūsus, past participle of pertundō (‘thrust or bore through’), from per- (‘through’) + tundō (‘beat, pound’).
Every English word from Old French percier
Another origin of pierce
- Japanesemodernピアスpiasu‘pierced earring’
- Englishtodaypierce
Today it means
verb To puncture; to break through.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Old French percier / pierce