Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “intenable” come from?

intenable (English) comes from English tenable, from French tenable, from French tenir, from Middle French tenir, from Old French tenir, from Latin teneō, from Proto-Italic tenēō, from Proto-Indo-European ten- — to stretch, to extend.

intenable (English): Untenable

Definitions

  1. Untenable

Ancestry of “intenable”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishtenablecapable of being maintained or justified;...
2Frenchtenabletenable
3Frenchtenirto have; to hold; to keep; to take ; to consider;...
4Middle Frenchtenirto hold
5Old Frenchtenirto possess; to have; to hold
6Latinteneō—
7Proto-Italictenēōto hold
8Proto-Indo-Europeanten-to stretch, to extend
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ten- →