teneo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈtɛ.ne.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈtɛː.ne.o]^[1]

Forms

teneō (present infinitive tenēre, perfect active tenuī or tetinī, supine tentum); second conjugation^[1] The old reduplicated perfect tetinī is used by Pacuvius and Accius.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *t(e)nē-, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *tn̥-eh₁- (“to hold”), a stative present to the root *ten- (“to stretch”).^[3][1] Latin also kept an s-stem noun of the root, seen in tenus “as far as”.^[3] The OLD connects it with tendō.^[2]

Cognate with Umbrian tenitu (“let him hold”),^[3] Sanskrit तनोति (tanóti, “stretches”) and Ancient Greek τείνω (teínō, “to stretch”).^[3][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Naevius onwards.^[3] In Plautus someone points out a man who “holds a sword”.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Its first sense was to hold something in the hand and to grip it fast.^[2] It then meant to contain, to occupy a space, to reach a place on a journey, and in war to hold or occupy territory.^[2] Feelings were said to hold a person in their grip, and one could hold property, rank or office.^[2]

It meant to keep or maintain something, to hold a course (cursum tenere), and to restrain or confine.^[2] Laws and obligations “held” those they bound, and a speaker held the attention of his audience.^[2] Already in Plautus and Terence teneo meant “I understand”, and it also meant to remember.^[2] It survives as Italian tenere, Spanish tener, Portuguese ter, French tenir and Romanian ține.^[1] English tenet is its third person singular, “he holds”.^[4][1]

Timeline

• c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it.^[3][5]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it for holding and for understanding.^[2][5]
• 220–130 BC – Pacuvius uses the perfect tetin-.^[2][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses cursum tenere of a ship keeping its course.^[2][5]
• early 15th century – English takes tenet from it.^[4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To hold, grasp; to hold fast.^[2][6]
2. To contain; to occupy (a space, a position).^[2]
3. To reach (a place).^[2]
4. To hold, occupy (territory) militarily.^[2]
5. To hold (property, an office).^[2][1]
6. To keep, retain; to keep up, maintain.^[2]
7. cursum tenere To hold one's course.^[2]
8. To insist on (an opinion).^[2][1]
9. To hold back, restrain; to confine.^[2]
10. (of laws) To bind; to be binding.^[2]
11. To hold the attention of.^[2]
12. To understand; to remember.^[2]

Word family

• abstineō
• attineō
• circumteneō
• contineō
• dētineō
• distineō
• obstineo
• obtineō
• pertineō
• retineō
• subteneo
• sustineō

Related words

• tendō
• English tenet
• English tenon
• English tenant

Usage notes

Döderlein distinguishes tenere, holding something fast in physical possession, from habere, having it in one's power, and possidere, owning it as legal property.^[7]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ 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
4. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper