different between notion vs prank

English

Etymology

From Latin n?ti? (“a becoming acquainted, a taking cognizance, an examination, an investigation, a conception, idea, notion”), from n?scere (“to know”). Compare French notion. See know.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?n????n/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?no???n/
• Rhymes: -????n

Noun

notion (plural notions)

1. Mental apprehension of whatever may be known, thought, or imagined; idea, concept.

   • What hath been generally agreed on, I content myself to assume under the notion of principles.

   • 1705-1715', George Cheyne, The Philosophical Principles of Religion Natural and Revealed

     there are few that agree in their Notions about them:.

   • 1725, Isaac Watts, Logick, or The Right Use of Reason in the Enquiry After Truth With a Variety of Rules to Guard

     That notion of hunger, cold, sound, color, thought, wish, or fear which is in the mind, is called the "idea" of hunger, cold, etc.

   • Notion, again, signifies either the act of apprehending, signalizing, that is, the remarking or taking note of, the various notes, marks, or characters of an object which its qualities afford, or the result of that act.

2. A sentiment; an opinion.
   • December 2, 1832, John Henry Newman, Wilfulness, the Sin of Saul

     A perverse will easily collects together a system of notions to justify itself in its obliquity.
3. (obsolete) Sense; mind.
4. (colloquial) An invention; an ingenious device; a knickknack.

5. Any small article used in sewing and haberdashery, either for attachment to garments or as a tool, such as a button, zipper, or thimble.
6. (colloquial) Inclination; intention; disposition.

Translations

See also

• concept
• conception
• meaning

Further reading

• notion in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• notion in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• notion on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin n?ti?, n?ti?nem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /n?.sj??/

Noun

notion f (plural notions)

1. notion

Further reading

• “notion” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

English

Etymology

From Middle English pranken (“to adorn, arrange one's attire”), probably from Middle Dutch pronken, proncken (“to flaunt, make a show, arrange one's attire”). Cognate with Middle Low German prunken (“to flaunt”), German prunken (“to flaunt”), Danish prunke (“to make a show, prank”). Connected also with German prangen (“to make a show, be resplendent”), Dutch prangen (“to squeeze, press”), Danish pragt (“pomp, splendor”), all from Proto-Germanic *prangan?, *prangijan?, *prag- (“to press, squeeze, thring”), from Proto-Indo-European *brAngh- (“to press, squeeze”). Sense of "mischievous act" from earlier verbal sense of "to be crafty or subtle, set in order, adjust". See also prink, prance, prong.

Pronunciation

• enPR: pr?ngk, IPA^(key): /p?æ?k/
• Rhymes: -æ?k

Noun

prank (plural pranks)

1. A practical joke or mischievous trick.

   He pulled a gruesome prank on his sister.

   • The harpies […] played their accustomed pranks.

2. (obsolete) An evil deed; a malicious trick, an act of cruel deception.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:joke

Derived terms

• prankish
• pranksome
• prankster
• pranky

Translations

Verb

prank (third-person singular simple present pranks, present participle pranking, simple past pranked, past participle pranked or (archaic) prankt)

1. (transitive) To perform a practical joke on; to trick.
2. (transitive, slang) To call someone's phone and promptly hang up

   Hey man, prank me when you wanna get picked up.

   I don't have your number in my phone; can you prank me?

3. (transitive) To adorn in a showy manner; to dress or equip ostentatiously.
   • 1748, James Thomson, The Castle of Indolence, B:II

     And there a Sea?on atween June and May,

     Half prankt with Spring, with Summer half imbrown'd,

     A li?tle?s Climate made, where, Sooth to ?ay,

     No living Wight could work, ne cared even for Play.

   • 1880 Dante Gabriel Rosetti, For Spring, by Sandro Botticelli, lines 2–3

     Flora, wanton-eyed

     For birth, and with all flowrets prankt and pied:

4. (intransitive) To make ostentatious show.
   • 1867, Matthew Arnold, "Obermann Once More", in New Poems

     White houses prank where once were huts.

Synonyms

(call and promptly hang up): missed call, missed-call

Translations

Adjective

prank

1. (obsolete) Full of gambols or tricks.

Danish

Noun

prank

1. prank
   • 2016, Klaus Rifbjerg, Falsk forår, Gyldendal A/S (?ISBN)

     Hvad hun tillod sig nu var altså en prank, en joke, noget, der havde med overskud at gøre og slet ikke kunne bringes under de rubrikker, hun lå og forestillede sig.

   • 2014, Nick Clausen, Kanel, klejner og julekaos, Tellerup A/S (?ISBN)

     Bare fordi det er min tur til at finde på en prank gider du ikke gøre dig umage .

   • 2016, Lasse Henriksen, Pil Ingerslev, Benny 1's normale guide til det paranormale, Art People (?ISBN)

     Pranken fik sit eget liv, ...