suspense etymology

Etymology:

• Latin: "suspendere" (verb)
• Meaning: "to hang up, to keep in suspense"

Meaning:

• A feeling of uncertainty, anxiety, or anticipation
• A state of being kept in doubt or uncertainty
• A technique used in literature, film, and drama to create tension and keep readers or viewers engaged

Origin:

• The Latin word "suspendere" originally meant "to hang up" or "to keep suspended."
• In the 16th century, the word was used in English to describe a state of being "hung up" between states of being or feeling.
• By the 19th century, "suspense" had come to mean a specific feeling of uncertainty or anticipation, especially in relation to a narrative or performance.

Usage:

Suspense is a common literary device used to create tension and keep readers or viewers engaged. It is often achieved through the use of foreshadowing, cliffhangers, or other techniques that raise questions and keep the audience in a state of uncertainty.

Examples of suspense in literature:

• The opening lines of Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None": "Ten little Indians stood on the island; / And then there were nine."
• The climactic scene of Alfred Hitchcock's film "Psycho": "A boy's best friend is his mother."
• The final act of Shakespeare's "Othello": "But yet the pity of it, Iago! O, Iago, the pity of it, Iago!"

suspense relate terms

• suspend

  Etymology The word suspend comes from the Latin word suspendere which means to hang

• suspended

  Etymology Suspend verb From Middle French suspendre from Latin suspendere meanin

• suspenseful

  Etymology Suspense derives from the Latin word suspensio meaning a hanging or sus

• suspense

  Etymology Latin suspendere verb Meaning to hang up to keep in suspense Meani

• trance

  Etymology The word trance comes from the Old French word trans to cross and the La

• poise

  Etymology The word poise has two main etymological origins Old French pois meani

• guess

  Etymology refers to the study of the origin and development of words It involves tracing

• adder

  Etymology Old English æddre from Proto Germanic addri from Proto Indo European h₂

• dread

  Etymology Old English drædan to fear to be afraid Proto Germanic drad to fear

• apprehension

  Etymology Late Middle English in the sense act of arresting or seizing via Old

• dubiety

  Etymology Origin Latin dubius doubtful Middle English doutey Old French dobte me

• doubt

  Etymology The word doubt derives from the Old French word douter meaning to fear h

• incertitude

  Etymology From Old French incertitude from Latin incertitudinis genitive of incertitu

• anticipation

  Etymology The word anticipation comes from the Latin word anticipatio which means