the word "surprise" entered english from middle french surprise, the feminine past participle of surprendre, meaning "to overtake, seize". this french verb was formed from the latin prefix super- (meaning "over") and the verb prehendere (meaning "to grasp, seize"). the literal sense was thus "to overtake, to seize from above". the semantic journey moved from the physical act of capturing or attacking unexpectedly to the more abstract psychological state of being taken unawares, leading to the modern meanings of an unexpected event or the feeling it causes.

Structure: sur (over) + prise (take) sur- is a prefix of latin origin, meaning "over, above". prise is from the latin root prehendere, meaning "to seize, grasp, take".