pretended etymology

Pretended Etymology

The word "pretended" is often mistakenly believed to be derived from the Latin word "praetendere," meaning "to stretch forth." However, this is not the true origin of the word.

Actual Etymology

The word "pretended" actually comes from the Middle French word "pretendre," which means "to claim" or "to lay claim to." This word, in turn, is derived from the Late Latin word "praetendere," which means "to hold before" or "to put forward."

Meaning and Origin

The word "pretended" has been in use in the English language since the 14th century. It originally meant "to lay claim to something," "to assert," or "to declare." Over time, the word has come to mean "to give the appearance of something that is not true" or "to feign."

Usage

The word "pretended" is often used in a negative sense, to describe someone who is lying or deceiving. However, it can also be used in a more neutral sense, to describe someone who is simply putting on an act or pretense.

Examples

  • "He pretended to be sick so he could skip school."
  • "The politician pretended to care about the environment, but his actions said otherwise."
  • "The actor pretended to be a doctor in the movie."

pretended relate terms

  • pretend

    Pretend Etymology From Middle English pretenden meaning to claim or profess to be

  • pretender

    Etymology The word pretend is derived from the Old French word pretendre which in tu

  • pretended

    Pretended Etymology The word pretended is often mistakenly believed to be derived from

  • false

    False Etymology False etymology also known as folk etymology refers to a mistaken belie

  • sham

    Meaning A form of folk etymology in which a word s actual origin is incorrectly replaced

  • spurious

    Meaning Spurious etymology is the false or mistaken belief about the origin or meaning o

  • feint

    Etymology Old English fent a trick or stratagem Middle English feinte pretense d

  • make believe

    Etymology The word makebelieve is a compound word from the words make and believe

  • pseudo science

    Etymology Pseudoscience is derived from two Greek words pseudo ψευδής me

  • mouth

    Etymology The word mouth comes from the Old English word mūþ which is believed to

  • anticipate

    Etymology Latin anticipare from ante before capere to take Literally meaning

  • promise

    Etymology The word promise comes from the Old French word promesse which in turn de