*ten-

Reconstruction

LIV and NIL set up *ten-, glossed intransitively 'to become taut, to stretch'.^[1][2] Derksen writes *ten- 'stretch', and Matasović 'broaden, stretch'.^[3][4] LIV treats it mostly as a root without a laryngeal, though the Baltic acute seems to need a variant with one.^[1]

Morphology

LIV reconstructs a root aorist *tén-/tn- (Sanskrit अतन् (átan)), a nu-present *tn̥-néu̯/nu- (Sanskrit तनोति (tanóti), Ancient Greek τάνυται (tánutai)), a perfect *te-tón/tn-, a causative *ton-éi̯e- (Gothic 𐌿𐍆𐌸𐌰𐌽𐌾𐌰𐌽 (ufþanjan)) and an essive *tn̥-h₁i̯é- (Latin teneō).^[1] The s-aorist and the i̯e-present Ancient Greek τείνω (teínō) are later.^[1] Beekes takes τείνω as a Greek innovation that agrees with Albanian nden (“to stretch”), if that is from *en-ten-i̯ō.^[1][5]

Evidence

Indo-Aryan, Iranian, Greek, Italic, Celtic, Germanic, Baltic, Slavic and Albanian are cited under Reflexes.^[1] LIV's list has no Anatolian or Tocharian verb, and NIL adds only a doubtful Cuneiform Luwian tannas- and a doubtful Tocharian B noun.^[1][2]

Competing analyses

Beekes and Kroonen write the root *ten(h₂)-.^[5][6] Kroonen derives Latin teneō from *tnh₂-eie-,^[6] where LIV has an essive *tn̥-h₁i̯é- and de Vaan *tn-eh₁- 'to hold'.^[1][7] Latin Tendō belongs here only as a substitute for the nu-present, as Meiser holds; otherwise it goes with *tend-.^[1]

Meanings

1. to become taut, to stretch (intransitive)^[1][2]

LIV argues for an intransitive basic meaning from the partly intransitive Vedic perfect, and takes the factitive 'to stretch something' from the nasal present.^[1] Beekes glosses the root 'draw, stretch'.^[5]

Derivatives

• *ten-s- neuter: Ancient Greek ἀτενής (atenḗs), Latin tenus (“string with a noose”), Sanskrit तनस् (tánas-, “posterity”).^[5]
• *tón-o-: Ancient Greek τόνος (tónos), Lithuanian tãnas (“ulcer”), Sanskrit तान (tāna-, “thread, tone”).^[5]
• *ten-eto- 'net, snare': Proto-Slavic *tenetò, beside Lithuanian tiñklas (“net”).^[3]
• *(-)tn̥-tó-: Sanskrit तत (tatá-), Ancient Greek τατός (tatós), Latin tentus.^[2]

Reflexes

• Indo-Aryan, as listed by LIV: Sanskrit तनोति (tanóti, “stretches, spreads out”).^[1]
• Iranian: Proto-Iranian *tan (“to extend, stretch”), in Avestan pairi.tanuiia.^[8]
• Greek: Ancient Greek τείνω (teínō, “to stretch”), Ancient Greek τάνυμαι (tánumai).^[5]
• Italic: Latin teneō (“to hold, grasp”).^[7]
• Celtic: Proto-Celtic *tan-nu- (“to broaden, spread, stretch”), in Middle Welsh tannu (“to spread out, extend”).^[4]
• Germanic: Proto-Germanic *þanjan- (“to stretch, extend”).^[6]
• Slavic: Proto-Slavic *tenetò (“net, snare”).^[3]
• Baltic: Lithuanian tiñklas (“net”).^[9][10]
• Albanian, as listed by LIV: Albanian nden (“spreads out, stretches”).^[1]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert, p. s.v. *ten-
2. ^ a b c d Wodtko, Dagmar S.; Irslinger, Britta; Schneider, Carolin (2008), Nomina im indogermanischen Lexikon, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. *ten-
3. ^ a b c Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 490
4. ^ a b Matasović, Ranko (2009), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic, Leiden: Brill, p. 380
5. ^ a b c d e f Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 10, Leiden; Boston: Brill, p. s.v. τείνω
6. ^ a b c Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 533
7. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill, p. s.v. teneō
8. ^ Cheung, Johnny (2007), Etymological Dictionary of the Iranian Verb, Leiden: Brill, p. 402
9. ^ Hock, Wolfgang, et al. (2015), Altlitauisches etymologisches Wörterbuch (ALEW), online and Hamburg: Baar, p. s.v. tiñklas
10. ^ Derksen, Rick (2015), Etymological Dictionary of the Baltic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden: Brill, p. 481