English
contain
Contain comes from Old French contenir, from Latin contineō ‘to hold together’, from teneō ‘to hold’, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ten- ‘to stretch’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ten-‘to stretch’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*tn̥eh₁yétireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*tenēō‘to hold’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEteneō‘to hold’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcontineō‘to hold together, contain’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400contenir‘to control oneself’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500conteinen
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1590–1592contain
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ten-‘to stretch’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*tn̥eh₁yétireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*tenēō‘to hold’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEteneō‘to hold’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcontineō‘to hold together, contain’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400contenir‘to control oneself’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500conteinen
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1590–1592contain
Earliest quotation: c. 1590–1592, William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew: “Fear not, my lord: we can contain ourselves.”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ten- ‘to stretch, extend’
tight, tune, tone, maintenance, tender, entertainment, ton, obtain, tonic, pristine, tendon, tenacious, pertinent, tetanus, countenance, tendinitis, tantra, hypotenuse, retentive, maintainer, 64 more
through Latin teneō ‘to hold’
tennis, continue, detention, tenant, retain, retention, tenor, sustain, tenacity, rein, abstinence, tenet, sustenance, tenement, detain, abstain, retinue, tenable, pertain, abstention, abstinent, incontinent, 20 more
through Latin contineō ‘to hold, keep, connect, contain, maintain’
content, continuous, continent, continuum, incontinence, continence, 3 more
Today it means
verb To hold inside.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ten- / contain