English
continuous
Continuous comes from Latin continuus ‘continuous, uninterrupted, successive, lasting’, from contineō ‘hold together’, 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’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcontineō‘hold together’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcontinuus‘continuous, uninterrupted, successive, lasting’
- Englishearliest quotation 1847continuous
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’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcontineō‘hold together’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcontinuus‘continuous, uninterrupted, successive, lasting’
- Englishearliest quotation 1847continuous
Earliest quotation: 1847, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline: “he can hear its continuous murmur”.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ten- ‘to stretch, extend’
tight, entertainment, maintenance, tone, tune, obtain, tender, ton, tonic, tendon, pristine, pertinent, tenacious, tetanus, countenance, tantra, tendinitis, maintainer, retentive, hypotenuse, 66 more
through Latin teneō ‘to hold’
tennis, retain, sustain, tenant, detention, container, tenor, retention, rein, tenacity, detain, tenet, abstinence, abstain, sustenance, pertain, tenement, tenable, retinue, abstention, abstinent, 22 more
through Latin contineō ‘hold together’
content, contain, incontinence, incontinent, continence, 4 more
Today it means
adj Without stopping; without a break, cessation, or interruption.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ten- / continuous