Where does “tenure” come from?

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

tenure (Middle English): Alternative form of tenour

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of tenour

Ancestry of “tenure”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchtenuretenure (right to hold land under the feudal system)
2Latintenitura—
3Latintentusstretched; stretched out; extended; distended;...
4Latinteneōto hold, have; to grasp
5Proto-Italictenēōto hold
6Proto-Indo-Europeanten-to stretch, to extend

Words derived from “tenure”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ten- →Every word from Proto-Italic tenēō →Every word from Latin teneō →