Etymograph

English

penthouse

Penthouse comes from Anglo-Norman pentiz ‘pentice’, from Latin appendō ‘to append’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pend- ‘to stretch’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)pend-‘to stretch’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)péndetireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*pendō‘to hang, put in a hanging position’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpendō‘to weigh, weigh out’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEappendō‘to append’
  6. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400pentiz‘pentice’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1802penthouse

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)pend-‘to stretch’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)péndetireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*pendō‘to hang, put in a hanging position’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpendō‘to weigh, weigh out’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEappendō‘to append’
  6. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400pentiz‘pentice’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1802penthouse

Earliest quotation: 1802, William Paley, Natural Theology: “The proboscis […] is doubled up by means of…”

The story

Altered by folk etymology to appear to be a compound of house.folk etymology The source marks this as unproven or a folk etymology. Quoted, not asserted.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *(s)pend- ‘to stretch’

pound, span, depend, pendant, poise, pansy, pensive, 15 more

through Proto-Italic *pendō ‘to hang, put in a hanging position’

spending, suspension, suspend, spender, 12 more

through Latin pendō ‘to weigh, weigh out’

spend, expensive, compensation, pension, expense, compensate, expenditure, perpendicular, peso, compendium, dispensation, expend, piso, recompense, 15 more

through Latin appendō ‘to append’

appendix, append, 4 more

Today it means

noun A structure or annexe (especially one with a sloping roof) extending from the side of a building, sometimes as protection from the weather.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *(s)pend- / penthouse

Shirt and support for this word