Where does “patent” come from?

Patent comes from Middle English patent, from Middle French patent, from Latin patens, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European pete-, meaning to spread or stretch open.

patent (English): A declaration issued by a government agency...

Definitions

  1. A declaration issued by a government agency...

Ancestry of “patent”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishpatentA letter conferring a privilege or status; Such a...
2Middle Frenchpatent—
3Old Frenchpatent—
4Latinpatēnsbeing opening; open
5Latinpateōto be open, accessible, attainable
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpeth₂-to spread out; to fly

Words derived from “patent”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European peth₂- →