Where does “cense” come from?

cense (English) comes from English incense, from Middle English encens, from Old French encens, from Latin incēnsum, from Latin incensus, from Latin incendō, from Latin īn-, from Latin în — in.

cense (English): To perfume with incense; A census; A public rate...

Definitions

  1. To perfume with incense; A census; A public rate...

Ancestry of “cense”, step by step

cense traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English incense

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishincenseA perfume used in the rites of various religions;...
2Middle Englishencensincense; smoke
3Old Frenchencensincense
4Latinincēnsum
5Latinincensusset on fire; burnt; excited
6Latinincendōto set on fire, burn, kindle
7Latinīn-un-, non-, not
8Latinînin, at, on, upon, from (space)
9Latinenlookǃ beholdǃ; reallyǃ?; come onǃ
10Proto-Italicenin
11Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁énin

via Old French cense

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchcense
2Frenchcenscensus; feu-duty
3Latincensuscensus, a registering of the populace and their...
4LatincenseoI give an opinion; I think, suppose or judge; I...
5Proto-Italickensēōto give an opinion
6Proto-Italickensējō
7Proto-Indo-Europeanḱens-éh₁-ye-ti
8Proto-Indo-Europeanḱens-to announce, to proclaim; to put in order
9Proto-Indo-Europeanḱem-to cover, conceal; hornless
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁énEvery word from Latin īn-Every word from Proto-Italic en