pendo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈpɛn.doː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈpɛn.do]^[1]

Forms

pendō (present infinitive pendere, perfect active pependī, supine pēnsum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *pend-e/o- (“to hang; to weigh”).^[2] De Vaan derives it from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pend- (“to spin”), seen as a variant of *(s)penh₁- “to spin, weave”, and mentions an alternative link with *ped- “to fall”.^[2] If the first is right, it is cognate with Lithuanian spę́sti (“to set a trap”) and Russian пядь (pjadʹ, “span”).^[2] Wiktionary gives the root as *(s)pend- “to pull; to spin”.^[1] The OLD calls the origin doubtful.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus,^[2] who uses it of paying tribute.^[3] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

De Vaan traces the senses from “to make hang” to “to weigh out” and then “to pay”, since metal was weighed out in payment.^[2] It meant to weigh, to have a weight of, to pay money or contributions, and, in poenās pendere, to pay the penalty.^[3] Figuratively it meant to weigh up, value or consider, as in magnī pendere “to value highly”, and nihil pēnsī habēre “to have no scruples”.^[3]

The related stative verb pendeō “to hang” and the noun pondus “weight” come from the same stem.^[2] Its derivatives include pēnsum “a day's spinning”, pēnsiō “payment”, the source of English pension, and many compounds such as expendō and impendō.^[2][5]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of paying tribute and paying the penalty.^[3][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero says that in a real matter words are not weighed.^[3][4]
• late 14th century – English pension is recorded.^[5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To weigh, weigh out.^[3]
2. To have a weight of.^[3]
3. To pay (money, tribute); to render (services).^[3]
4. poenās pendere, to pay the penalty; to suffer (punishment).^[3]
5. To weigh up, value, consider, magnī / parvī pendere, to value highly / little.^[3]
6. nihil pēnsī habēre, to have no scruples.^[3]

Word family

• appendō
• compendō
• dēpendō
• dispendō
• expendō
• impendō
• pēnsiō
• pēnsō
• pensor
• pēnsum
• pensūra
• perpendō

Related words

• pendeō
• pondus
• sponda
• English pension

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com