Pry
Middle English (in the sense ‘peer inquisitively’): of unknown origin.
wiktionary
The verb is inherited from Middle English prien, pryen(“to look closely, peer into, pry, spy”)[and other forms], [1] from Old English *prīwan, *prēowian(“to look narrowly, to squint at”), attested by Old English beprīwan, beprēwan(“to wink”); further etymology unknown, [2] but probably akin to Old English *prēowot(“closing of the eyes”), attested only in combination – compare prēowthwīl(“blink or twinkling of an eye, moment”), princ(“a wink”): see prink.
The noun is derived from the verb. [3]
The noun is probably a back-formation from prise, prize(“tool for levering, lever”), construed as the plural of pry. [4]
The verb is either derived from the noun, or is a back-formation from prise(“to force open with a lever”), construed as pries, the third-person singular present form of pry. [5]
etymonline
pry (v.1)
"look inquisitively, look closely or with scrutinizing curiosity," c. 1300, prien "to peer in," a word of unknown origin, perhaps related to late Old English bepriwan "to wink." Related: Pried; prying. As a noun, "act of prying, curious or close inspection," from 1750; meaning "inquisitive, intrusive person" is from 1845.
pry (v.2)
"raise or move by force," 1823, from a noun meaning "large lever used to raise or move heavy things, crowbar;" an alteration of prize (as though it were a plural) in its obsolete sense of "lever" (c. 1300), from Old French prise "a taking hold, grasp" (see prize (n.2)).
