Where does “tenuous” come from?

Tenuous derives from Latin tenuous, meaning thin or stretched, formed from the Proto-Indo-European root ten- meaning to stretch, via Proto-Italic -owonssos and Latin -osus.

tenuous (English): Thin in substance or consistency; Insubstantial

Definitions

  1. Thin in substance or consistency; Insubstantial

Ancestry of “tenuous”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latintenuitasthinness, fineness; poverty; frugality
2Latintenuisthin, fine, slender; weak, watery; slight,...
3Proto-Indo-Europeanténh₂usthin
4Proto-Indo-Europeantenh₂-to stretch, to extend
5Proto-Indo-Europeanten-to stretch, to extend

Words derived from “tenuous”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ten- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European tenh₂- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European ténh₂us →
tenuous — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer