tenir French · revision 16318

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=2nd half of the 10th century, Vie de saint Léger|origins=la teneō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /tə.niʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''tenir'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|tener]] (about 980), remade as ''tenir'' in the 11th century.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|tener]], [[inh|la-vul|*teniō|alt=*tenīre]], an altered form of classical [[la|teneō|t=to hold; to occupy; to keep]], perhaps under the influence of “venīre” “to come”.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|13/1, 209a) “Teneō” shares an Indo-European root “*ten-” “to stretch” with [[m|la|tendō]] (see [[tendre]]), [[grc|τείνω|tr=teínō|t=to stretch]] and [[en|thin]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007) The Latin verb had a wide range of senses, from “to have in hand” to “to occupy, possess, keep, restrain” and, through “to keep in mind”, “to remember, know”.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Cognate with [[ro|ține]], [[it|tenere]], [[ca|tenir]], [[es|tener]] and [[pt|ter]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ It is first found in the second half of the 10th century in the ''Vie de saint Léger'', of keeping a person with oneself: ''cio fud lonx tiemps ob se lo.s ting'' “he kept him with him a long time”.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The many senses of the Latin verb passed into French, mostly before the 13th century.^(DHLF 1992) It was used of holding an object about 1050, of ruling a land (''Carles, ki France tient'', 1080) and of holding an office in the 10th century; feudal law used it for holding a fief from a lord (1130), whence [[tenure]], and ''être tenu à'' “to be obliged to” (about 1283).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) ''Tenez'', said when handing something over, is found in the ''Chanson de Roland'', and the interjection ''tiens'' about 1200.^(TLFi)

+

+ ''Tenir pour'' “to consider as” dates from about 1050 and ''tenir de'' “to take after” from the late 15th century; the proverb ''mieux vaut un tiens que deux tu l'auras'' goes back to about 1185 (''Meuz vaut un tien qe deus avraz'').^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) ''Faire tenir'' “to send” is recorded in 1624.^(TLFi) Quebec slang uses ''se tenir avec'' for “to hang out with”.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 2nd half of the 10th century – ''Ting'' in the ''Vie de saint Léger''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1050 – Holding an object, and ''tenir pour'', in the ''Vie de saint Alexis''.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1080 – ''Carles, ki France tient''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1130 – Holding a fief.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * c. 1185 – ''Meuz vaut un tien qe deus avraz''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1200 – The interjection ''tien'' in Jean Bodel.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1283 – ''Être tenu à'' “to be obliged to”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1624 – ''Faire tenir'' “to send”.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|hold]]: ''tenir un livre'', ''tenir quelqu'un par la main''.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # To keep (in a state or place): ''tenir la porte ouverte'', ''tenir chaud''.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # To run, keep (a shop, a house): ''tenir un commerce''.^(TLFi)

+ # ''Tenir pour'': to consider as: ''Je le tiens pour responsable.''^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Tenir à'': to be attached to; to insist on: ''Il tient à venir.''^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Tenir de'': to take after: ''Il tient de son père.''^(DHLF 1992)

+ # Intransitive: to hold, last, stand firm: ''Le nœud tient'', ''tenir bon''.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Se tenir'': to stand, sit, behave: ''se tenir droit'', ''se tenir bien''.^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Tiens !'', ''tenez !'': here!, look!, expressing surprise.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''(Quebec, slang)'' ''Se tenir avec'': to hang out with.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[tenable]]

+ * [[tenancier]]

+ * [[tenant]]

+ * [[teneur]]

+ * [[tenon]]

+ * [[tènement]]

+ * [[tenue]]

+ * [[tenure]]

+ * [[entretenir]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[abstenir]]

+ * [[appartenir]]

+ * [[attenir]]

+ * [[contenir]]

+ * [[détenir]]

+ * [[maintenir]]

+ * [[obtenir]]

+ * [[retenir]]

+ * [[soutenir]]

+ * [[la|teneō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}