'Phrase' meant 'way of speaking' in Greek — it narrowed from style of expression to a grammatical unit.
A small group of words forming a unit of meaning within a sentence, less than a complete clause. Also, a characteristic manner of expression or a musical passage.
From Latin 'phrasis' ('diction, style of speech'), borrowed from Greek 'phrásis' (φράσις), meaning 'speech, way of speaking, expression.' This derives from the verb 'phrázein' (φράζειν), 'to point out, to tell, to express.' The Greek verb is of uncertain deeper etymology; it may connect to Proto-Indo-European *bʰreh₂ǵ- ('to indicate'). In Greek, 'phrásis' emphasized manner of expression rather than a grammatical unit
In French and German, 'phrase' / 'Phrase' means a full sentence, not just a word-group — a significant false friend that catches language learners off guard. The German saying 'Das sind nur Phrasen' ('those are just phrases') means 'that's just empty rhetoric,' preserving the Greek emphasis on style over substance.