Where does “retention” come from?
Retention comes from Middle English retencioun, from Latin retentio, a noun formed from the prefix re- and the root ten-, both ultimately from Proto-Indo-European origins.
retention (English): The act of retaining or something retained; The...
Definitions
- The act of retaining or something retained; The...
Ancestry of “retention”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | retencioun | — |
| 2 | Latin | retentio | a holding back; holding in; a withholding; a... |
| 3 | Latin | retentus | restrained, delayed; repressed; held |
| 4 | Latin | retineō | to keep or hold back, detain, restrain, retain, confine, contain; delay |
| 5 | Latin | rĕ- | back, backwards |
| 6 | Latin | prōdūcō | to lead or bring forth, forward or out |
| 7 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |