Where does “tendril” come from?
Tendril comes from Middle French tendrillon, a diminutive of Middle French tendron, from Old French tendre, ultimately derived from Latin tendere meaning to stretch or extend.
tendril (English): A thin, spirally coiling stem that attaches a...
Definitions
- A thin, spirally coiling stem that attaches a...
Ancestry of “tendril”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | tendrillon | bud, shoot, cartilage |
| 2 | Middle French | tendron | cartilage |
| 3 | Old French | tendre | tender; to stretch |
| 4 | Latin | tendere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | tend- | to stretch, to extend; to split, cut off |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | temh₂- | to stretch, string; to cut |