Where does “tenant” come from?

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

tenant (Cebuano): a tenant; one who pays a fee in return for the...

Definitions

  1. a tenant; one who pays a fee in return for the...

Ancestry of “tenant”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtenantOne who pays a fee in return for the use of...
2Middle Englishtenaunt
3Anglo-NormantenauntAlternative form of tenant; Alternative form of...
4Old Frenchtenantholder
5Latintenensholding, having; restraining; knowing, grasping,...
6Latinteneōto hold, have; to grasp
7Proto-Italictenēōto hold
8Proto-Indo-Europeanten-to stretch, to extend
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ten-Every word from Proto-Italic tenēōEvery word from Latin teneō
tenant — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer