Want to remove ads? Log in to see fewer ads, and become a Premium Member to remove all ads.

Origin and history of pend

pend(v.)

c. 1500, "to depend, to hang," from French pendre, from Latin pendere "to hang, cause to hang" (from PIE root *(s)pen- "to draw, stretch, spin"). In some cases short for depend, but this often was 'pend, aware of its origin. Middle English also had penden "pertain (to), belong," short for append. For the figurative or extended sense "to hang as in a balance, await settlement," see pending.

also from c. 1500

Entries linking to pend

append(v.)

late 14c., appenden, "to belong to as a possession or right," from Old French apendre (13c.) "belong, be dependent (on); attach (oneself) to; hang, hang up," and directly from Latin appendere "cause to hang (from something); weigh out," from ad "to" (see ad-) + pendere "to hang, cause to hang; weight; pay" (from PIE root *(s)pen- "to draw, stretch, spin").

The meaning "to hang on, attach as a pendant" is by 1640s; that of "attach as an appendix" is recorded by 1843. OED says the original word was obsolete by c. 1500, and these later transitive senses thus represent a reborrowing from Latin or French. Related: Appended; appending.

depend(v.)

mid-15c., "to be attached to as a condition or cause, be a conditional effect or result," a figurative use, also literal, "to hang, be sustained by being attached to something above;" from Old French dependre, literally "to hang from, hang down," and directly from Latin dependere "to hang from, hang down; be dependent on, be derived," from de "from, down" (see de-) + pendere "to hang, cause to hang; weigh" (from PIE root *(s)pen- "to draw, stretch, spin").

From c. 1500 as "to rely, rest in full confidence or belief;" from 1540s as "be sustained by, be dependent (on)." Related: Depended; depending.

Want to remove ads? Log in to see fewer ads, and become a Premium Member to remove all ads.

Trends of pend

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

More to explore

pending

1640s, "during, in the process of, for the time of the continuance of," a preposition formed on the model of French pendant "during," literally "hanging," present participle of pendere "to hang, cause to hang" (from PIE root *(s)pen- "to draw, stretch, spin"). The meaning is patt

pendant

(13c.), noun uses of the present-participle adjective from pendre "to hang," from Latin pendere "to hang," from PIE *(s)pend...

pentacle

used in necromancy, perhaps a five-branched candlestick; French had pentacol "amulet worn around the neck" (14c.), from pend...

spick-and-span

also spic-and-span, "very neat, clean, and trim," 1660s, from spick-and-span-new "new and fresh" (1570s), literally "new as a recently made spike and wood-chip." It seems to be an elaboration, with spick "nail" (see spike (n.1)), of older span-new "very new," in reference to some

arsenal

c. 1500, "dockyard, dock with naval stores," from Italian arzenale, from Arabic dar as-sina'ah "workshop," literally "house of manufacture," from dar "house" + sina'ah "art, craft, skill," from sana'a "he made." The word was applied by the Venetians to a large wharf in their city

need

Middle English nede, from Old English nied (West Saxon), ned (Mercian) "what is required, wanted, or desired; necessity, compulsion, the constraint of unavoidable circumstances; duty; hardship, emergency, trouble, time of peril or distress; errand, business," originally "violence

hazard

c. 1300, name of a game at dice, from Old French hasard, hasart "game of chance played with dice," also "a throw of six in dice" (12c.), of uncertain origin. Possibly from Spanish azar "an unfortunate card or throw at dice," which is said to be from Arabic az-zahr (for al-zahr) "

address

early 14c., "to guide, aim, or direct," from Old French adrecier "go straight toward; straighten, set right; point, direct" (13c.), from Vulgar Latin *addirectiare "make straight" (source also of Spanish aderezar, Italian addirizzare), from ad "to" (see ad-) + *directiare "make s

ease

c. 1200, "physical comfort, undisturbed state of the body; tranquility, peace of mind," from Old French aise "comfort, pleasure, well-being; opportunity," which is of uncertain origin. According to Watkins is ultimately from Latin adiacens "lying at," present participle of adiace

conversion

mid-14c., originally of religion, "a radical and complete change in spirit, purpose, and direction of life away from sin and toward love of God," from Old French conversion "change, transformation, entry into religious life; way of life, behavior; dwelling, residence; sexual inte

Share pend

Want to remove ads? Log in to see fewer ads, and become a Premium Member to remove all ads.

Trending

Dictionary entries near pend

Want to remove ads? Log in to see fewer ads, and become a Premium Member to remove all ads.