Where does “suspense” come from?
Suspense comes from Old French suspense, from Old French suspens, meaning uncertain or undecided state.
suspense (English): The condition of being suspended; cessation for a...
Definitions
- The condition of being suspended; cessation for a...
Ancestry of “suspense”, step by step
suspense traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English suspense
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | suspense | — |
| 2 | Old French | suspens | postponement; suspension |
| 3 | Latin | suspensus | suspended; anxious; in suspense |
| 4 | Latin | suspendo | I hang up or suspend |
| 5 | Latin | pendēre | — |
| 6 | Latin | pendō | to weigh, weigh out |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | pendō | hang, put in a hanging position |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)péndeti | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)pend- | to stretch |
via Old French suspense
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | suspense | — |