Etymologically
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extendo

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ɛkˈstɛn.doː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ekˈstɛn.do][1]

Forms

extendō (present infinitive extendere, perfect active extendī, supine extentum); third conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from ex- (“out”) and tendō “to stretch”.[2][1][3] Both participles, extentus and extēnsus, occur.[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citation is Plautus, of making something taut.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to stretch, make taut, to stretch out the arm, as in Cicero, and to lay out full length, as of the dead in Virgil.[2][6] It meant to strain, exert oneself, as in Columella, to smooth or straighten, and to spread out, as in Varro.[2] It meant to lengthen, of land to stretch, in grammar to add a syllable, to prolong time, as in Virgil, to spend the whole of a period, and to enlarge the scope of an activity.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to stretch, extend.[7] It survives in French étendre, Italian stendere and Spanish extender.[1] English extend came through Anglo-French estendre in the early 14th century.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of stretching.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of stretching out the arm.[6][5]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of prolonging time.[2][5]
  • early 14th century – English extend is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To stretch, make taut; to stretch out.[2]
  2. To lay out full length.[2]
  3. To strain, exert.[2]
  4. To spread out; to lengthen.[2]
  5. To prolong; to spend (time).[2]
  6. To extend, enlarge.[2]

Word family

  • extēnsiō
  • extensipes
  • extēnsīvus
  • extensor
  • extēnsus
  • extentiō
  • extentō
  • superextendō
  • extentus

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson