Speaking to or making a request to a deity or spiritual power, or the act of asking for something earnestly.
From Old French 'preier,' derived from Latin 'precari' meaning 'to ask or beg.' The word entered English through Norman French and originally emphasized the begging aspect before becoming specifically religious.
The word 'pray' comes from Latin 'precari' which literally means 'to beg'—and this is why people in all religions 'pray' whether they're begging God, ancestors, or the universe itself; the word is about the desperate need to ask, not the specific answer you expect.
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