Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “undertenant” come from?

undertenant (English) comes from English tenant, from Middle English tenaunt, from Anglo-Norman tenaunt, from Old French tenant, from Latin tenens, from Latin teneō, from Proto-Italic tenēō, from Proto-Indo-European ten- — to stretch, to extend.

undertenant (English): A tenant who holds property from another tenant;...

Definitions

  1. A tenant who holds property from another tenant;...

Ancestry of “undertenant”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtenantOne who pays a fee in return for the use of...
2Middle Englishtenaunt—
3Anglo-NormantenauntAlternative form of tenant; Alternative form of...
4Old Frenchtenantholder; possessor ; tenant; holder; owner
5Latintenensholding, having; restraining; knowing, grasping,...
6Latinteneō—
7Proto-Italictenēōto hold
8Proto-Indo-Europeanten-to stretch, to extend
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ten- →