Where does “patent” come from?

patent (Dutch) comes from German Patent, from Latin patēns, from Latin pateō, from Proto-Indo-European peth₂- — to spread out; to fly.

patent (Dutch): patent; excellent, exquisite

Definitions

  1. patent; excellent, exquisite

Ancestry of “patent”, step by step

patent traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German Patent

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanPatentpatent
2Latinpatēnsbeing opening; open
3Latinpateōto be open, accessible, attainable
4Proto-Indo-Europeanpeth₂-to spread out; to fly

via Middle French patente

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchpatente—

Words derived from “patent”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European peth₂- →Every word from Latin pateō →Every word from Latin patēns →
patent — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer