Please
/pliːz/noun
Used to make a request polite or to express a wish to satisfy someone.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Latin *placēre*, “to be pleasing,” the same root behind words tied to pleasure, approval, and the idea of something settling the mind.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*plāk-
“to be flat, calm, or at rest”
Latin
Latin
placēre
“to please, to be acceptable, to satisfy”
Old French
Old French
plaisir / plaisir
“to please; pleasure, delight”
Middle English
English
plesen
“to please, satisfy”
Late Middle English
English
please
“to give pleasure to; to satisfy; later as a polite request”
Explore more surprising origins