English
tenet
Tenet comes from Latin tenet ‘he, she, or it holds’, from teneō ‘hold’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ten- ‘to stretch, draw’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ten-‘to stretch, draw’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*tenēō‘to hold’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEteneō‘hold’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtenet‘he, she, or it holds’
- Englishearliest quotation 2009same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ten-‘to stretch, draw’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*tenēō‘to hold’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEteneō‘hold’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtenet‘he, she, or it holds’
- Englishearliest quotation 2009same form
Earliest quotation: 2009, Enlightenment Therapy: “The Buddhist concept of tanha, for example — roughly…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ten- ‘to stretch, draw’
tight, obtain, ton, entertainment, maintenance, tone, tune, tender, tonic, pristine, pertinent, tendon, tenacious, tantra, countenance, tetanus, maintainer, tendinitis, hypotenuse, retentive, 63 more
through Proto-Italic *tenēō ‘to hold’
container, incontinent, 19 more
through Latin teneō ‘hold’
continue, contain, content, continuous, sustain, retain, tennis, continent, continuum, rein, detention, tenant, retention, abstain, detain, pertain, abstinence, tenor, tenacity, sustenance, incontinence, retinue, abstention, tenement, tenable, continence, abstinent, 21 more
Today it means
noun An opinion, belief, or principle that is held as absolute truth by someone or especially an organization.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ten- / tenet