English
surprise
Surprise comes from Middle French surprise ‘an overtaking’, the past participle of Old French sorprendre ‘to overtake’, from sor- + prendre ‘to take’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰed-‘to find; to hold’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 CEprehendōas prehendere‘to seize, grasp’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400prendre‘to take’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400sorprendre‘to seize; to overtake’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600surprise‘an overtaking’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500surprise
- Englishearliest quotation 1838surprise
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰed-‘to find; to hold’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 CEprehendōas prehendere‘to seize, grasp’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400prendre‘to take’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400sorprendre‘to seize; to overtake’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600surprise‘an overtaking’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500surprise
- Englishearliest quotation 1838surprise
Earliest quotation: 1838, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, Keeping up Appearances. […]: “You were right," replied Isabella, "and I should not…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gʰed- ‘to find’
yet, guess, prey, predator, apprehend, predation, reprieve, impregnable, beget, prehensile, 30 more
through Proto-Italic *praiɣendō
prisoner, imprison, impresario, 12 more
through Latin prehendō ‘to grasp, seize’
comprehensive, prison, apprentice, comprehend, comprehension, apprehension, comprise, apprehensive, reprehensible, 14 more
through Old French prendre ‘to take’
Today it means
noun Something unexpected.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʰed- / surprise