"serving or intended to avert some threatened evil or action," 1580s, from Late Latin deprecatorius, from deprecat-, past-participle stem of deprecari "plead in excuse, avert by prayer," literally "to pray (something) away," from de "away" (see de-) + precari "to pray" (from PIE root *prek- "to ask, entreat").
1590s, "immodest, wanton, saucy," from French petulant (mid-14c.), from Latin petulantem (nominative petulans) "wanton, froward, saucy, insolent," present participle of petere "to attack, assail; strive after; ask for, beg, beseech" (from PIE root *pet- "to rush, to fly"). Meaning "irritable, manifesting peevish impatience" is by 1775, probably by influence of pet (n.2). Related: Petulantly.
"annulling of (a law) by legislative action," 1530s, from Latin abrogationem (nominative abrogatio) "a repeal (of a law)," noun of action from past-participle stem of abrogare "annul, repeal," from ab "off, away from" (see ab-) + rogare "propose (a law), ask, request," apparently a figurative use of a PIE verb meaning literally "to stretch out (the hand)," from root *reg- "move in a straight line."
1530s, quaere "a question," from Latin quaere "to ask, inquire," "much used as a marginal note or memorandum to indicate a question or doubt, and hence taken as a noun" [Century Dictionary], second person singular imperative of quaerere "to seek, look for; strive, endeavor, strive to gain; ask, require, demand;" figuratively "seek mentally, seek to learn, make inquiry," probably ultimately from PIE root *kwo-, stem of relative and interrogative pronouns. Spelling Englished or altered c. 1600 by influence of inquiry. Compare quest.
Query stands for a question asked without force, a point about which one would like to be informed : the word is used with all degrees of weakness down to the mere expression of a doubt; as, I raised a query as to the strength of the bridge. [Century Dictionary]
mid-15c., "praying for deliverance from evil," from Old French deprecatif (13c.) and directly from Late Latin deprecativus, from deprecat-, past-participle stem of Latin deprecari "plead in excuse, avert by prayer," literally "to pray (something) away," from de "away" (see de-) + precari "to pray" (from PIE root *prek- "to ask, entreat"). Related: Deprecatively.
c. 1600, "subject for investigation" (a sense now obsolete), also "systematic search, formal inquiry into some problem or topic," from Latin disquisitionem (nominative disquisitio) "an inquiry, investigation," noun of action from past-participle stem of disquirere "inquire," from dis- "apart" (see dis-) + quaerere "seek, ask" (see query (n.)). Sense of "a long speech, a formal dissertation" first recorded 1640s. Related: Disquisitional.
c. 1300, preiere, "earnest request, entreaty, petition," also "the practice of praying or of communing with God," from Old French prier "prayer, petition, request" (12c., Modern French prière), from Medieval Latin precaria "petition, prayer," noun use of Latin adjective precaria, fem. of precarius "obtained by prayer, given as a favor," from precari "to ask, beg, pray" (from PIE root *prek- "to ask, entreat").
From mid-14c. as "devout petition to God or a god or other object of worship;" also "the Lord's Prayer;" also "action or practice of praying." Related: Prayers. Prayer-book "book of forms for public or private devotions" is attested from 1590s; prayer-meeting "service devoted to prayer, sacred song, and other religious exercises" is from 1780. Prayer-rug "small carpet spread and used by a Muslim when engaged in devotions" is by 1898 (prayer-carpet is by 1861). To not have a prayer "have no chance" is from 1941.
