emprise (n.)

c. 1300, "chivalrous endeavor," from Old French emprise (12c.) "enterprise, venture, adventure, undertaking," from Vulgar Latin *imprensa (source of Provenal empreza, Spanish empresa, Italian impresa), from *imprendere "to undertake," from in- (from PIE root *en "in") + prehendere "to take" (from prae-"before," see pre-, + -hendere, from PIE root *ghend- "to seize, take"). Archaic in English; in French now with a literal sense "a hold, a grip."