English
partner
Partner comes from Middle English partener, an alteration of parcener ‘joint heir’, perhaps ultimately from Latin partītiō ‘portion’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpartītiō‘portion’uncertain
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400parçon‘partition’uncertain
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400parçonier‘joint heir’uncertain
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500parceneruncertain
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500partener
- Englishearliest quotation 1668partner
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpartītiō‘portion’uncertain
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400parçon‘partition’uncertain
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400parçonier‘joint heir’uncertain
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500parceneruncertain
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500partener
- Englishearliest quotation 1668partner
Earliest quotation: 1668, James Dalrymple, Thomas Rue contra Andrew Houſtoun: “He Suſpends on theſe Reaſons, that Thomas Rue had…”
The story
The word may also represent Old French part tenour (‘part holder’).
Every English word from Latin partītiō
Today it means
noun Either of a pair of people or things that belong together.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin partītiō / partner