tend etymology

Etymology:

The word "tend" comes from the Middle English word "tenden," which in turn comes from the Old French word "tendre," meaning "to stretch, to extend, to reach." Ultimately, the word derives from the Latin verb "tendere," which means "to stretch, to strain."

Meaning:

The verb "tend" has several related meanings, including:

• To have a course or direction: "The river tends to the south."
• To be inclined or disposed towards something: "She tends to be optimistic."
• To care for or look after someone or something: "She tended to her sick husband."
• In the context of medicine, to treat or care for a wound or injury: "The nurse tended to the patient's burns."

Origin:

The Latin verb "tendere" is an Indo-European root word that appears in various forms in many languages. For example:

• Greek: teinein (to stretch)
• Sanskrit: tand (to stretch)
• Germanic: tenjan (to stretch)

The common element in all of these words is the idea of stretching or extending. This suggests that the original meaning of "tend" was related to movement or direction. Over time, the word has acquired additional meanings, but it retains its core sense of "reaching or extending towards something."

tend relate terms

• attend

  Etymology Old French atendre Late Latin attendere from ad to towards tendere

• intend

  Etymology Middle English entenden from Anglo Norman French entendre from Medieval La

• intended

  Intended Etymology The term intended originates from the Latin word intendere which

• tender

  Etymology The word tender comes from the Old French verb tendre meaning to stretch

• lean

  Etymology Derived from the Old English word hlænan meaning to lean or incline Ger

• incline

  Etymology The word incline derives from the Latin word inclinare meaning to bend or

• down

  Etymology The word down has origins in several Germanic languages Old English dun

• divergence

  Etymology Latin divergere di apart vergere to turn Meaning To move i

• tonsure

  Etymology Origin Latin tonsura from the verb tondere meaning to shear Meaning

• wrench

  Etymology The word wrench is derived from the Middle English word wrenche which mea

• gravitate

  Etymology The word gravitate originates from the Latin word gravis which means heav

• stoke

  Etymology The word stoke has its origins in two Old English words stocian verb

• look

  Etymology Old English lōcian to see Proto West Germanic lōkijanan Proto Germanic