Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “depend” come from?

Depend comes from Middle English dependen, from Latin dependēre meaning to hang down, from de- plus pendēre to hang, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European (s)pend-.

depend (English): To be contingent or conditioned; to have...

Definitions

  1. To be contingent or conditioned; to have...

Ancestry of “depend”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchdépendreto depend; to belong , be part; to unhang
2Italiandipendereto depend , to be up to , to hang , to come from,...
3Spanishdependerto depend, to be subject to; to depend on, to...
4LatindependeoI hang down, from or on; I wait for; I am...
5Latindē-—
6Latindē—
7Latinpostbehind; after, since, besides, except; behind,...
8Latinposteablative singular of postis
9Proto-Italicposti—
10Proto-Indo-Europeanpósti—
11Proto-Indo-Europeanpósafterwards, post; by, at

Words derived from “depend”

  • dependable
  • dependability
  • undependable
  • dependably
  • dependeth
  • depender
  • dependee
  • undependability
  • dependableness
  • interdepend
  • dependest
  • undependableness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pós →