Lent

Lent
\ \ [OE] The etymological meaning of Lent is ‘long days’. It comes from *langgitīnaz, a prehistoric West Germanic compound formed from *lanngaz ‘long’ and an element *tīnadenoting ‘day’. This signified originally ‘spring’, an allusion to the lengthening days at that time of year. It passed into Old English as lencten, which became Middle English lenten, but in the 13th century the -en was dropped from the noun, leaving Lenten to function as an adjective. By this time too the secular sense ‘spring’ was fast dying out, having been usurped by the application of Lent to the period between Ash Wednesday and Easter.
\ \ Cf.⇒ LONG

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • lent — lent, lente [ lɑ̃, lɑ̃t ] adj. • 1080; lat. lentus 1 ♦ Qui manque de rapidité, met plus, trop de temps. La tortue, animal lent. Véhicules lents. Il est lent, lent dans tout ce qu il fait. ⇒ lambin, 1. mou, traînard. « la vieille nourrice si lente …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • lent — lent, ente (lan, lan t ) adj. 1°   Proprement, souple, flexible, sens qui est un latinisme rarement usité et seulement en poésie. À moins qu avec adresse un de ses pieds lié Sous un cuir souple et lent ne demeure plié, A. CHÉN., Idylles, Fille du …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • Lent — • An article on the origins of Lenten fasting Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Lent     Lent     † …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • lent — LENT, [l]ente. adj. Tardif, qui n est pas viste, qui se remuë, qui agit avec peu de promptitude. L asne est un animal lent & pesant. le mouvement de Saturne est plus lent que celuy des autres planetes. que cet homme est lent! il est si lent en… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Lent — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Familie: Wilhelm Johann Heinrich Lent (1792–1868), deutscher (Berliner) Jurist und Präsident des Oberlandesgerichts Hamm Alfred Lent (1836–1915), deutscher (Berliner) Architekt sowie Eisenbahnbaumeister… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • lent — LENT, Ă, lenţi, te, adj. Încet, domol. – Din fr. lent, lat. lentus. Trimis de LauraGellner, 19.05.2004. Sursa: DEX 98  Lent ≠ brusc, iute, rapid, repede Trimis de siveco, 03.08.2004. Sursa: Antonime  LENT adj., adv. 1 …   Dicționar Român

  • lent|en — or lent|en «LEHN tuhn», adjective. 1. of Lent; during Lent; suitable for Lent. 2. such as may be used in Lent; meager; plain; dismal or somber. ╂[Old English lencten; see etym. under Lent (Cf. ↑Lent)] …   Useful english dictionary

  • Lent|en — or lent|en «LEHN tuhn», adjective. 1. of Lent; during Lent; suitable for Lent. 2. such as may be used in Lent; meager; plain; dismal or somber. ╂[Old English lencten; see etym. under Lent (Cf. ↑Lent)] …   Useful english dictionary

  • Lent — /lent/, n. (in the Christian religion) an annual season of fasting and penitence in preparation for Easter, beginning on Ash Wednesday and lasting 40 weekdays to Easter, observed by Roman Catholic, Anglican, and certain other churches. [bef.… …   Universalium

  • lent — /lent/, v. pt. and pp. of lend. * * * In the Christian church, a period of penitential preparation for Easter, observed since apostolic times. Western churches once provided for a 40 day fast (excluding Sundays), in imitation of Jesus fasting in… …   Universalium

  • Lent — Lent, n. [OE. lente, lenten, leynte, AS. lengten, lencten, spring, lent, akin to D. lente, OHG. lenzin, langiz, G. lenz, and perh. fr. AS. lang long, E. long, because at this season of the year the days lengthen.] (Eccl.) A fast of forty days,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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