Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “pertinacious” come from?

Pertinacious comes from Latin pertinax, formed from per- (through) and teneo (to hold), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ten- (to stretch or hold).

pertinacious (English): Holding tenaciously to an opinion or purpose;...

Definitions

  1. Holding tenaciously to an opinion or purpose;...

Ancestry of “pertinacious”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinpertināx—
2Latinpertineō—
3Latinperthrough, by means of; throughout, during
4LatinAd—
5Latinilliche, she, it, yonder, that, overthere; in that...
6Latinillethat; those; "; demonstrative pronoun "; that...
7LatinolleArchaic form of ille
8Proto-Italic*olnos—

Words derived from “pertinacious”

  • pertinaciously
  • pertinaciousness
Every word from Proto-Italic *olnos →