Late 16th century (in an earlier sense). Origin uncertain. It is possible that the three senses may show three different words of independent origin, but the formal identity points at least to some association between them, and the independent development of such an unusual form in three distinct words seems unlikely. In sense 1 apparently either a reduplication (with vowel variation) of prancome, or a reduplication (with vowel variation and apparently arbitrary extension) of prank. In sense 2 perhaps a reduplication (with vowel variation and apparently arbitrary extension) of prank; compare later prink.