pray

pray
pray (v.) late 13c., "ask earnestly, beg," also "pray to a god or saint," from O.Fr. preier (c.900), from L. precari "ask earnestly, beg," from *prex (plural preces, gen. precis) "prayer, request, entreaty," from PIE root *prek- "to ask, request, entreat" (Cf. Skt. prasna-, Avestan frashna- "question;" O.C.S. prositi, Lith. prasyti "to ask, beg;" O.H.G. frahen, Ger. fragen, O.E. fricgan "to ask" a question). Related: Prayed; praying. Parenthetical expression I pray you, "please, if you will," attested from 1510s, contracted to pray 16c.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Pray — may refer to:* Prayer, an active effort to communicate with a deity or spirit * Pray (BI), a comune (municipality) in the Province of Biella in the Italian region Piedmont * Pray (2005 film), a film produced by Satoshi Fukushima * Pray (2007… …   Wikipedia

  • pray — vt: to ask for plaintiff pray s judgment against the defendants for actual damages used esp. in pleadings vi: to make a request of a court esp. in a complaint or petition complainant pray s for declaratory relief pray ing that the judgment be… …   Law dictionary

  • Pray — Pray, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Prayed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Praying}.] [OE. preien, OF. preier, F. prier, L. precari, fr. prex, precis, a prayer, a request; akin to Skr. prach to ask, AS. frignan, fr[=i]nan, fricgan, G. fragen, Goth. fra[ i]hnan. Cf.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Pray — Pray, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Prayed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Praying}.] [OE. preien, OF. preier, F. prier, L. precari, fr. prex, precis, a prayer, a request; akin to Skr. prach to ask, AS. frignan, fr[=i]nan, fricgan, G. fragen, Goth. fra[ i]hnan. Cf.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Pray — Pray, v. t. 1. To address earnest request to; to supplicate; to entreat; to implore; to beseech. [1913 Webster] And as this earl was preyed, so did he. Chaucer. [1913 Webster] We pray you . . . by ye reconciled to God. 2 Cor. v. 20. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Pray — Pray …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • pray-in — /pray in /, n. a form of social protest in which demonstrators engage in passive resistance and prayer: popular esp. in the 1970s. [1960 65; PRAY + IN3] * * * pray in «PRAY IHN», noun. a gathering of people to listen to sermons, improvise prayers …   Useful english dictionary

  • Pray — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Pray País …   Wikipedia Español

  • Pray — Студийный альбом Crematory Дата выпуска 1 февраля 2008 Жанры …   Википедия

  • pray — [prā] vt. [ME preien < OFr preier < LL precare, for L precari < prex (gen. precis), prayer < IE * prek̑ , var. of base * perk̑ , question > Ger frage, question] 1. to implore or beseech: now seldom used except as the elliptical… …   English World dictionary

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