Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “tenir” come from?

tenir (French) comes from Middle French tenir, from Old French tenir, from Latin teneō, from Proto-Italic tenēō, from Proto-Indo-European ten- — to stretch, to extend.

tenir (French): to have; to hold; to keep; to take ; to consider;...

Definitions

  1. to have; to hold; to keep; to take ; to consider;...

Ancestry of “tenir”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchtenirto hold
2Old Frenchtenirto possess; to have; to hold
3Latinteneō—
4Proto-Italictenēōto hold
5Proto-Indo-Europeanten-to stretch, to extend

Words derived from “tenir”

  • tenor
  • untenable
  • tenable
  • countertenor
  • untenableness
  • untenably
  • tenableness
  • intenable
  • tenably
  • tenorist
  • tenorial
  • tenable
  • tenez
  • tins
  • tenon
  • lieutenant
  • tenant
  • teneur
  • Oberleutnant
  • Leutnant
  • yliluutnantti
  • aliluutnantti
  • kenraaliluutnantti
  • everstiluutnantti
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ten- →