Prison
late Old English, from Old French prisun, from Latin prensio(n- ), variant of prehensio(n- ) ‘laying hold of’, from the verb prehendere .
wiktionary
From Middle English prisoun, prison, a borrowing from Old French prison, from Latin prehensiōnem, accusative singular of prehensiō, from the verb prehendō. Doublet of prehension.
etymonline
prison (n.)
late Old English, prisoun, "place of confinement or involuntary restraint, dungeon, jail," from Old French prisoun "captivity, imprisonment; prison; prisoner, captive" (11c., Modern French prison), altered (by influence of pris "taken;" see prize (n.2)) from earlier preson, from Vulgar Latin *presionem, from Latin prensionem (nominative prensio), shortening of prehensionem (nominative *prehensio) "a taking," noun of action from past-participle stem of prehendere "to take" (from prae- "before," see pre-, + -hendere, from PIE root *ghend- "to seize, take").
In early use often "captivity, the condition of being in captivity or confinement;" hence, by extension, "a place for captives, a public building for confinement or safe custody of criminals and others committed by legal process," the main modern sense.
prison (v.)
"to imprison, shut up in a prison, restrain from liberty," literally or figuratively, early 14c., from prison (n.) or Old French prisoner (v.). Related: Prisoned; prisoning.
