praetendo

Pronunciation

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

Forms

praetendō (present infinitive praetendere, perfect active praetetendī, supine praetentum or praetēnsum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from prae- “before” and tendō “to stretch”.^[2][1][3][4] A participle ⟨praetēnsus⟩ is also found.^[5][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Virgil, of stretching out, and Cicero, of a pretext.^[2] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.^[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant to hold out, stretch forth, as Virgil's spears stretched forward, and in Pliny the Elder to extend across, as a membrane stretched before the heart.^[2][5][7] In Livy of places it meant to stretch in front, and in Virgil to put in front as a protection.^[2] In Cicero it meant to put forward as a pretext, allege in excuse, and in Tacitus to make a pretence of.^[2] In Ulpian it meant to put forward a claim.^[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to extend, stretch out before, present, pretend.^[8] It survives in Italian pretendere and French prétendre, and Old French pretendre “to lay claim” gave English pretend in the late 14th century.^[1][4]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a pretext.^[2][6]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of stretching out.^[2][6]
• 98–115 AD – Tacitus uses it of a pretence.^[2][6]
• late 14th century – English pretend is recorded.^[4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To stretch out, hold out.^[2]
2. To extend across; to stretch in front.^[2]
3. To put in front (as a protection).^[2]
4. To allege as a pretext.^[2]
5. To make a pretence of, pretend.^[2]
6. To lay claim to.^[2]

Word family

• praetentō
• praetentūra
• praetentus

Related words

• tendō
• English pretend
• English pretext

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 o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson