Where does “intent” come from?
Intent comes from Old French entente, meaning understanding or agreement.
intent (English): A purpose; something that is intended; The state...
Definitions
- A purpose; something that is intended; The state...
Ancestry of “intent”, step by step
intent traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French entent
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | entent | — |
| 2 | Latin | intentus | mindful, attentive; intent on; serious, earnest |
| 3 | Latin | intendo | I stretch out; I strain; I turn my attention to,... |
| 4 | Latin | in- | un-, non-, not; in, within, inside |
| 5 | Latin | in | in, at, on, upon, from; within, while in; into,... |
| 6 | Old Latin | en | in |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | en | in |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁én | in |
via Old French entente
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | entente | intent |