# pray
## English
### Etymology 1

From Middle English preien, from Anglo-Norman preier, from Old French preier, proier (French prier), from Latin precārī, from prex, precis (“a prayer, a request”), from Proto-Italic *preks, from Proto-Indo-European *preḱ- (“to ask, woo”).
Cognate via Indo-European of Old English frignan, fricgan, German fragen, Dutch vragen. Compare deprecate, imprecate, precarious.

#### Pronunciation

* enPR: prā, IPA: /pɹeɪ/
* Audio (US):(file)
* Rhymes: -eɪ
* Homophone: prey

#### Verb

pray (third-person singular simple present prays, present participle praying, simple past and past participle prayed)
* (religion) To direct words, thoughts, or one's attention to a deity or any higher being, for the sake of adoration, thanks, petition for help, etc.
    Muslims pray in the direction of Mecca.
** 1905, Lord Dunsany [i.e., Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany], The Gods of Pegāna, London: [Charles] Elkin Mathews, […], →OCLC:Pray to the small gods and hope that they may hear thee. Yet what mercy should the small gods have, who themselves made Death and Pain; or shall they restrain their old hound Time for thee?
** 2021 January 13, Bethan McKernan, “Turkey drought: Istanbul could run out of water in 45 days”, in The Guardian‎:The critically low level of rainfall in the second half of 2020 – approaching 50% year on year for November – led the religious affairs directorate to instruct imams and their congregations to pray for rain last month.
* To humbly beg a person for aid or their time.
* (obsolete) To ask earnestly for; to seek to obtain by supplication; to entreat for.
** 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:I know not how to pray your patience.
* To wish or hope strongly for a particular outcome.
    She is praying that the Red Sox will win tonight.
* (obsolete or law) To implore, to entreat, to request.
** 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 7:They prayd him sit, and gave him for to feed Such homely what as serves the simple clowne, That doth despise the dainties of the towne […]
** 1890, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, volume 2, page 370:In time of drought the Abchases of the Caucasus sacrifice an ox to Ap-hi, the god of thunder and lightning, and an old man prays him to send rain, thunder, and lightning, telling him that the crops are parched.
** 2021, Yang di-Pertuan Agong, “Schedule”, in Emergency (Essential Powers) (No. 2) Ordinance 2021‎, archived from the original on 20 July 2023, page 31:I humbly pray to the Honorable Court for the order for the removal of the publication which contains fake news to be granted.

##### Derived terms

* plug and pray
* prayer
* pray in aid
* praying Indian
* praying machine
* praying mantid
* praying mantis
* praying shawl
* pray tell
* pray the gay away
* pray to the porcelain god
* pray to the porcelain goddess
* prithee
* spray and pray

##### Related terms

* precarious

##### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

### Etymology 2

Ellipsis of I pray you, I pray thee, whence also prithee.

#### Adverb

pray (not comparable)
* (archaic or formal) Please; used to make a polite request
    pray silence for…
** 1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], chapter VIII, in Emma: […], volume I, London: […] [Charles Roworth and James Moyes] for John Murray, →OCLC, page 124:"Pray, Mr. Knightley," said Emma, who had been smiling to herself through a great part of this speech, "how do you know that Mr. Martin did not speak yesterday?"
** 1840 April – 1841 November, Charles Dickens, “Chapter the Tenth”, in The Old Curiosity Shop. A Tale. […], volume I, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1841, →OCLC, page 144:Pray don’t ask me why, pray don’t be sorry, pray don’t be vexed with me, I have nothing to do with it indeed!
** 1845, Frederick Marryat, “Chapter XXI”, in The Mission:Well, Major, pray tell us your adventures, for you have frightened us dreadfully.
** 1892, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb:Thank you. I am sorry to have interrupted you. Pray continue your most interesting statement.
* Alternative form of pray tell (“I ask you”)
** 1981, A. D. Hope, “His Coy Mistress to Mr. Marvell”, in A Book of Answers:Shall I be moved to love you, pray, / By hints that I must soon decay? / No woman's won by being told / How quickly she is growing old[...]
** 20 September 2013, Martina Hyde, “Is the pope Catholic?”, in The Guardian‎:He is a South American, so perhaps revolutionary spirit courses through Francis's veins. But what, pray, does the Catholic church want with doubt?

##### Translations
## Middle English
### Verb

pray
* Alternative form of preie
** 1470–1483 (date produced), Thom̃s Malleorre [i.e., Thomas Malory], “[Morte Arthur]”, in Le Morte Darthur (British Library Additional Manuscript 59678), [England: s.n.], folio 449, verso, lines 15–18:Than ſpake ẜ Gawayne And ſeyde brothir · ẜ Aggravayne I pray you and charge you meve no ſuch · maters no more a fore me fro wyte you well I woll nat be of youre counceyle //Then spoke Sir Gawain, and said, “Brother, Sir Agrivain, I pray you and charge you move not such matters any more before me, for be ye assured I will not be of your counsel.”