English
container
Container comes from Old French contenir ‘to control oneself, to keep one's feelings and…’, from Latin teneō ‘to hold, have’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ten- ‘to stretch, extend’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ten-‘to stretch, extend’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, have’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcontineō‘to hold, keep, connect, contain, maintain’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcontinēre
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400contenir‘to control oneself, to keep one's feelings and behavior in check’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500conteinen
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500conteiner
- Englishearliest quotation 1963container
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ten-‘to stretch, extend’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, have’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcontineō‘to hold, keep, connect, contain, maintain’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcontinēre
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400contenir‘to control oneself, to keep one's feelings and behavior in check’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500conteinen
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500conteiner
- Englishearliest quotation 1963container
Earliest quotation: 1963, Beyond the Channel: France: Freight stock of the future: “Will container development merely bring about a substitution for…”
Formed from contain + -er
Proto-Indo-European *ten- ‘to stretch’
…
Latin teneō ‘to hold’
Latin contineō ‘to hold together, contain’
Old French contenir ‘to control oneself’
Middle English conteinen
English contain
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ten- ‘to stretch, extend’
tight, maintenance, tone, tune, ton, entertainment, tender, obtain, tonic, tendon, tenacious, pristine, pertinent, tetanus, countenance, tantra, tendinitis, hypotenuse, retentive, maintainer, 64 more
through Latin teneō ‘to hold, have’
continue, tennis, detention, retain, tenant, retention, sustain, tenor, rein, tenacity, sustenance, abstinence, tenet, detain, abstain, tenement, retinue, tenable, abstention, pertain, abstinent, incontinent, 20 more
through Latin contineō ‘to hold, keep, connect, contain, maintain’
content, continuous, continent, continuum, incontinence, continence, 3 more
Today it means
noun An item in which objects, materials or data can be stored or transported.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ten- / container