Where does “pretense” come from?
Pretense comes from Middle French pretensse, from Late Latin praetensus, the past participle of Latin praetendo meaning to stretch forth or claim, from prae meaning before combined with tendere meaning to stretch.
pretense (English): A false or hypocritical profession; Intention or...
Definitions
- A false or hypocritical profession; Intention or...
Ancestry of “pretense”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | pretensse | — |
| 2 | Late Latin | praetensus | Having been stretched forth; having been... |
| 3 | Latin | praetendō | to stretch forth or forward; to extend |
| 4 | Latin | prae- | before; in front; in charge |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | prai- | pre-, before |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |