Where does “suspense” come from?
suspense (French) comes from English suspense, from Middle English suspense, from Old French suspens, from Latin suspensus, from Latin suspendo, from Latin pendēre, from Latin pendō, from Proto-Italic pendō — to stretch.
suspense (French): suspense state of being suspended
Definitions
- suspense state of being suspended
Ancestry of “suspense”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | suspense | The condition of being suspended; cessation for a... |
| 2 | Middle English | suspense | — |
| 3 | Old French | suspens | postponement; suspension |
| 4 | Latin | suspensus | suspended; anxious; in suspense |
| 5 | Latin | suspendo | I hang up or suspend |
| 6 | Latin | pendēre | — |
| 7 | Latin | pendō | to weigh, weigh out |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | pendō | hang, put in a hanging position |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)péndeti | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)pend- | to stretch |