Pray

Pray
This very unusual and intesting surname is medieval and now English. Recorded as Pray and Prayer, it is in both cases ultimately French, and residential, and has nothing whatsover to do with religion! As Pray it originates from a village in Normandy called Pre and hence the French surname du Pre or from living by a pre or pray. This was one of the early names for a water meadow. It was probably introduced into England at or immediately after the famous Norman Conquest of 1066, although the first known or at least surviving recording is that of Nicholas de Pre in the Assize Rolls of Somerset in the year 1230. As Prayer, the ultimate origin remains French but from a place called Presle in the departement of Calvados. Presles is however just the plural form of Pre, so the meaning remains essentially the same. The first recording from this source, or again at least the first surviving one, is that of Robert de Praiers. This is in the Pipe Rolls of the county of Sussex, England, in the year 1161 during the reign of King Henry 11nd, 1154 - 1189.

Surnames reference. 2013.

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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 — (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.… …   Etymology dictionary

  • 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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