"Proud" comes from late Old English "prut", probably from Old French "prud" "brave, valiant" (11th century) (which became "preux" in French), from Late Latin term "prodis" "useful", which is compared with the Latin "prodesse" "be of use".The sense of "having a high opinion of oneself", not in French, may reflect the Anglo-Saxons' opinion of the Norman knights who called themselves "proud".