Where does “lieutenant” come from?

lieutenant (Anglo-Norman) comes from Old French tenant, from Latin tenens, from Latin teneō, from Proto-Italic tenēō, from Proto-Indo-European ten- — to stretch, to extend.

Ancestry of “lieutenant”, step by step

lieutenant traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old French tenant

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchtenantholder
2Latintenensholding, having; restraining; knowing, grasping,...
3Latinteneōto hold, have; to grasp
4Proto-Italictenēōto hold
5Proto-Indo-Europeanten-to stretch, to extend

via Old French lieu

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchlieu—
2Latinlocusplace, spot; a passage of literature; "in the...
3Old Latinstlocus—
4Proto-Italicstlokos—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanstel-to put, to place; to locate

Words derived from “lieutenant”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ten- →Every word from Proto-Italic tenēō →Every word from Latin teneō →