Where does “big tent” come from?

big tent (English) comes from English tent, from Middle English tent, from Middle English attent, from Old French atente, from Latin attenta, from Latin attendere, from Latin attendo, from Latin ad- — in.

big tent (English): A group, philosophy, or social or political movement that encompasses or seeks to attract a broad range of constituents or members, or views

Definitions

  1. A group, philosophy, or social or political movement that encompasses or seeks to attract a broad range of constituents or members, or views

Ancestry of “big tent”, step by step

big tent traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English tent

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtentA pavilion or portable lodge consisting of skins,...
2Middle Englishtentattention
3Middle Englishattentattention
4Old Frenchatenteattention, intention
5Latinattentasecond-person singular present active imperative...
6Latinattenderethird-person plural perfect active indicative of...
7LatinattendoI pay attention, attend; I direct or turn toward
8Latinad-to; usually prefixed to verbs, in which cases it...
9Latinīn-un-, non-, not
10Latinînin, at, on, upon, from (space)
11Latinenlookǃ beholdǃ; reallyǃ?; come onǃ
12Proto-Italicenin
13Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁énin

via English big

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbigOf great size, large; Thought to have undue...
2Middle Englishbig
3Middle Englishbiggenbuild; dwell
4Old Norsebyggjato settle, build; to inhabit, dwell, live; to let...
5Proto-Germanicbūwijanąto settle, to inhabit
6Proto-Germanicbūanąto dwell, reside
7Proto-Indo-EuropeanbʰuH-to become, grow, appear

Words derived from “big tent

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁én
big tent — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer