Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “suspense” come from?

suspense (Middle English) comes from Old French suspens, from Latin suspensus, from Latin suspendo, from Latin pendēre, from Latin pendō, from Proto-Italic pendō, from Proto-Indo-European (s)péndeti, from Proto-Indo-European (s)pend- — to stretch.

Ancestry of “suspense”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchsuspenspostponement; suspension
2Latinsuspensussuspended; anxious; in suspense
3LatinsuspendoI hang up or suspend
4Latinpendēre—
5Latinpendō—
6Proto-Italicpendōhang, put in a hanging position
7Proto-Indo-European(s)péndeti—
8Proto-Indo-European(s)pend-to stretch

Words derived from “suspense”

  • suspense
  • suspensory
  • suspenseful
  • suspensive
  • suspensefully
  • suspensively
  • suspensefulness
  • suspenser
  • unsuspenseful
  • suspensiveness
  • suspenseless
  • nonsuspense
  • suspense
  • suspense
  • suspense
  • suspense
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)pend- →