tenant

tenant
\ \ [14] A tenant is etymologically a ‘holder’. The word comes from Old French tenant, a noun use of the present participle of tenir ‘hold’. This in turn went back to Latin tenēre ‘hold’, a descendant of the Indo-European base *ten- ‘stretch, extend’ (source also of English tend, tense, thin, etc). Also from Latin tenēre come English tenacious [16], tenement [14], tenet [17], and tenor, not to mention contain, continue, detain, maintain, obtain, retain, etc, while French tenir has additionally produced tenable [16], tenon [15], tenure [15], and probably tennis.
\ \ Cf.⇒ CONTAIN, CONTINUE, DETAIN, MAINTAIN, OBTAIN, RETAIN, TENABLE, TENACIOUS, TEND, TENEMENT, TENET, TENNIS, TENON, TENOR, TENSE, TENURE, THIN

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • tenant — tenant, ante [ tənɑ̃, ɑ̃t ] adj. et n. • XIIIe « tenace »; 1160 « stable, ferme »; de tenir I ♦ Adj. 1 ♦ Qui « se tient », ne s interrompt pas. Séance tenante. 2 ♦ (mil. XXe) Chemise à col tenant, qui ti …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • tenant — ten·ant / te nənt/ n [Anglo French, from Old French, from present participle of tenir to hold, from Latin tenēre]: one who holds or possesses property by any kind of right: one who holds a tenancy in property; specif: one who possesses property… …   Law dictionary

  • tenant — tenant, ante (te nan, nan t ) adj. 1°   Qui tient ; usité dans très peu de locutions. Séance tenante, dans le cours de la séance.    Je vous remercie, mais rancune tenante, c est à dire sans renoncer à ma rancune.    Anciennement, les plaids… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • Tenant — Ten ant, n. [F. tenant, p. pr. of tenir to hold. See {Tenable}, and cf. {Lieutenant}.] 1. (Law) One who holds or possesses lands, or other real estate, by any kind of right, whether in fee simple, in common, in severalty, for life, for years, or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • tenant — Tenant, Tantost signifie un homme chiche, Tenax. Tantost le limite par flanc, soit d un champ, soit d une maison, dont l opposite est Abboutissant, qui est le limite par front. Selon cette signification on dit, Bailler la declaration d un… …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

  • tenant — TENÁNT, Ă adj. (Herald (heraldic).; despre figuri antropomorfe sau zoomorfe) Care susţine scutul cu stema propriu zisă. [< fr. tenant]. Trimis de LauraGellner, 13.09.2007. Sursa: DN  TENÁNT s. m. 1. (herald.) figură antropomorfă sau zoomorfă… …   Dicționar Român

  • tenant — [ten′ənt] n. [ME tenaunt < OFr tenant, orig. prp. of tenir, to hold < L tenere, to hold < IE base * ten , to pull, stretch > THIN] 1. a person who pays rent to occupy or use land, a building, etc. 2. an occupant of or dweller in a… …   English World dictionary

  • Tenant — Ten ant, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Tenanted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Tenanting}.] To hold, occupy, or possess as a tenant. [1913 Webster] Sir Roger s estate is tenanted by persons who have served him or his ancestors. Addison. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Tenant — Porté en Limousin, en Périgord et dans le Lyonnais, correspond à l ancien français tenant (occitan tenent ), sans doute avec le sens de tenancier (autre sens possible : avare). Variante : Tenand (01) …   Noms de famille

  • tenant — early 14c., person who holds lands by title or by lease, from Anglo Fr. tenaunt (late 13c.), O.Fr. tenant (12c.), noun use of prp. of tenir to hold, from L. tenere hold, keep (see TENET (Cf. tenet)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • tenant — ► NOUN 1) a person who rents land or property from a landlord. 2) Law a person holding real property by private ownership. ► VERB (usu. be tenanted) ▪ occupy (property) as a tenant. ORIGIN Old French, holding , from Latin tenere to hold …   English terms dictionary

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