Pryce

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A Welsh family name, an alternative spelling of Price, borne by various people over the years
2. A surname of Welsh origin that is a variant spelling of the name Price and is carried by many families
3. An uncommon Welsh family name, related to Price, used as a surname by people in Britain and elsewhere

Etymology: "Pryce" is simply an obsolete spelling of "price", so its story is the story of "price" itself. The English word came into Middle English meaning not just cost but also worth, value and excellence, a sense that survives in the older idea of a man of price. It was borrowed from Old French "pris" and "preis", which descend from the Latin "pretium", meaning worth, money spent, wages or reward. That Latin root explains some surprising relatives. "Praise", "precious", "appraise", "appreciate" and "depreciate" all grow from the same ancient idea of value, so a price and a compliment are close cousins. To judge something's worth and to speak well of it were once almost the same act.