Where does “extenuate” come from?
extenuate (English) comes from Latin extenuatus, from Latin extenuo, from Latin tenuo, from Latin tenuis, from Proto-Indo-European ténh₂us, from Proto-Indo-European tenh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European ten- — to stretch, to extend.
extenuate (English): To lessen; to palliate; to lessen or weaken the...
Definitions
- To lessen; to palliate; to lessen or weaken the...
Ancestry of “extenuate”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | extenuatus | thinned, reduced, diminished |
| 2 | Latin | extenuo | I thin, reduce, diminish |
| 3 | Latin | tenuo | I make thin; I reduce or lessen; I wear down |
| 4 | Latin | tenuis | thin, fine, slender; weak, watery; slight,... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ténh₂us | thin |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | tenh₂- | to stretch, to extend |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ten- | to stretch, to extend |