English
attention
Attention comes from Latin attentiō ‘attention, attentiveness’, from Proto-Italic *tendō ‘to stretch’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *téndeti.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*téndetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*tendō‘to stretch’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtendō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEattendō‘to pay attention’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEattentiō‘attention’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500attencioun
- Englishearliest quotation 1816attention
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*téndetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*tendō‘to stretch’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtendō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEattendō‘to pay attention’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEattentiō‘attention’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500attencioun
- Englishearliest quotation 1816attention
Earliest quotation: 1816, – 1817 April/May, The Modern Prometheus. […]: “She attended her sickbed; her watchful attentions triumphed over…”
A compound of *ten- ‘to stretch, extend’ + *tend- ‘to stretch, extend’
Proto-Indo-European *ten- ‘to stretch, extend’
Proto-Indo-European *tend- ‘to stretch, extend’
Linked words
through Proto-Italic *tendō ‘to stretch’
pretend, extend, tender, intend, hypertension, contend, intentional, pretense, hypotension, entendre, portend, pretension, 28 more
through Latin tendō
extensive, tend, extent, extension, tense, tension, intention, tempt, contention, tensor, tensile, extensible, entente, portent, détente, detent, 42 more
through Latin attendō ‘to pay attention, attend (to), direct the…’
Today it means
noun Mental focus.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *téndeti / attention