Etymologically
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pendo

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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

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