Where does “pretenseful” come from?
pretenseful (English) comes from English pretense, from Middle French pretensse, from Late Latin praetensus, from Latin praetendō, from Latin prae-, from Proto-Italic prai-, from Proto-Indo-European preh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European per- — passed , crossed.
pretenseful (English): Abounding in pretenses
Ancestry of “pretenseful”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | pretense | A false or hypocritical profession; Intention or... |
| 2 | Middle French | pretensse | — |
| 3 | Late Latin | praetensus | Having been stretched forth; having been... |
| 4 | Latin | praetendō | — |
| 5 | Latin | prae- | before; in front; in charge |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | prai- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |