Where does “patent” come from?
patent (Middle English) comes from Middle French patent, from Old French patent, from Latin patēns, from Latin pateō, from Proto-Indo-European peth₂- — to spread out; to fly.
patent (Middle English): A letter conferring a privilege or status; Such a...
Definitions
- A letter conferring a privilege or status; Such a...
Ancestry of “patent”, step by step
patent traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle French patent
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | patent | — |
| 2 | Old French | patent | — |
| 3 | Latin | patēns | being opening; open |
| 4 | Latin | pateō | to be open, accessible, attainable |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | peth₂- | to spread out; to fly |
via Anglo-Norman French lettre patente
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anglo-Norman French | lettre patente | — |
| 2 | Latin | littera patens | open letter |