Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “pretentiousness” come from?

Pretentiousness comes from French prétentieux, from French prétention and Latin -osus, ultimately from Latin praetendo meaning to stretch forth or claim, combined with Latin teneo meaning to hold.

pretentiousness (English): The quality of being pretentious

Definitions

  1. The quality of being pretentious

Ancestry of “pretentiousness”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpretentiousIntended to impress others; ostentatious; Marked...
2Frenchprétentieuxpretentious
3Frenchprétentionpretentiousness; pretension; claim
4French-tionUsed to indicate action, condition, result or...
5Latin-tiō—
6Latindissertātiō—
7Latindissertusarranged, disposed; explained
8Latindissereresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
9Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
10Latincalceusshoe
11Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
12Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble
Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ →