Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “ostentation” come from?

Ostentation comes from Middle English ostentacioun, from Middle French ostentation, from Latin ostentatio, a noun formed with the Latin suffix -tio from the verb root teneo meaning to hold, prefixed with ob-.

ostentation (English): Ambitious display; vain show; display intended to...

Definitions

  1. Ambitious display; vain show; display intended to...

Ancestry of “ostentation”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishostentacioun—
2Middle Frenchostentation—
3Latinostentatioexhibition, display, showing off
4Latinostentō—
5Latinostendō—
6Latinobs-in front of
7Latinob-towards; against
8Latinobolusobolus
9Ancient Greekὀβολόςobol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and...
10Ancient Greekὀβελόςa spit, rod; a horizontal line
11Ancient Greekβέλοςmissile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly...
12Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷélHos—
13Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷelH-to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing

Words derived from “ostentation”

  • ostentatious
  • ostentatiously
  • unostentatious
  • unostentatiously
  • ostentatiousness
  • unostentation
  • unostentatiousness
  • stush
  • nonostentatious
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷelH- →