English
propension
Propension comes from French propension ‘propensity, proclivity’, from Latin prōpendeō ‘to hang down, forth or forward’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pend- ‘to stretch’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)pend-‘to stretch’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)pn̥d-éh₁ye-tireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*pendējōreconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*pendēō‘to hang, to be hanging’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpendeō‘to be suspended, hang’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōpendeō‘to hang down, forth or forward’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōpēnsiō‘inclination, propensity, tendency’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentpropension‘propensity, proclivity’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1602same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)pend-‘to stretch’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)pn̥d-éh₁ye-tireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*pendējōreconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*pendēō‘to hang, to be hanging’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpendeō‘to be suspended, hang’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōpendeō‘to hang down, forth or forward’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEprōpēnsiō‘inclination, propensity, tendency’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentpropension‘propensity, proclivity’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1602same form
Earliest quotation: c. 1602, William Shakespeare: “But I aſſeſt the gods, your full conſent, /…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *(s)pend- ‘to stretch’
spend, pound, expensive, span, expense, compensation, expenditure, compensate, appendix, pendant, perpendicular, poise, penthouse, peso, compendium, pansy, expend, append, piso, dispensation, recompense, pensive, 18 more
through Latin pendeō ‘to be suspended, hang’
Today it means
noun Propensity.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *(s)pend- / propension