tend English · revision 4469

+ English has two verbs spelled ''tend'': to incline or move toward, from Old French tendre and Latin tendere “to stretch”, and to look after, shortened from [[attend]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /tend/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ {{homograph|1|incline}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1330|origins=la tendere}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|tenden]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) [[bor|fro|tendre|t=to stretch, hold forth, offer]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[la|tendere|t=to stretch, extend; aim, direct oneself]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) from [[ine-pro|*ten-|t=to stretch]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Watkins 2000) Latin tendere is cognate with Greek teinein “to stretch” and Sanskrit tanoti “stretches”,^(Barnhart 1988) and the same root gave Latin tenere “to hold”.^(Etymonline) It is related to [[tense]], [[tension]] and [[thin]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ To turn the mind to, be intent upon: early 14th century in Etymonline;^(Etymonline) to move toward, incline: about 1330 in Barnhart,^(Barnhart 1988) about 1350 in the OED, of persons or things in motion.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The literal sense of moving in a direction is now archaic,^(OED 1989) and the main sense became a disposition or inclination toward a condition or action,^(AHD)^(Hoad 1986) as in ''tend to agree''.^(AHD) It is also used of a road or course leading in a direction, from 1574.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * early 14th century – to turn the mind to.^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1330 – to move toward, incline.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1574 – of a road or course.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1641 – to have a natural inclination to move.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To be inclined or likely to do something; to have a [[tendency]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # To move or extend in a certain direction.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[tendency]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|look after}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=clipping|attested=a. 1200|origins=en attend}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|tenden]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) a shortening of atenden, attenden, [[attend]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(NODE 1998) Middle English tenden was also used as a shortening of intenden, [[intend]].^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Probably before 1200 in Barnhart, in the Ancrene Riwle;^(Barnhart 1988) “to minister to, wait upon” from about 1300 in Etymonline.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Its early senses were those of attend and intend: to listen, to attend to, to turn one's attention.^(OED 1989)^(Hoad 1986) The general modern sense, to take care of or look after, is from the 15th century:^(Hoad 1986) a person from about 1489, and a flock or business from 1515.^(OED 1989) To foster or cultivate a plant is from 1631.^(OED 1989) In dialect it is still used for “to attend, wait on” and “to watch, guard”.^(Wright 1898)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * a. 1200 – first recorded.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1300 – to wait upon.^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1489 – to care for a person.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1515 – to take charge of a flock or business.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1631 – to cultivate a plant.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To look after or take care of: ''tend the sick'', ''tend a garden''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # To manage or serve at: ''tend bar''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # ''tend to'': to apply one's attention to.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[tender]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[tense]]

+ * [[tension]]

+ * [[tent]]

+ * [[intend]]

+ * [[attend]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}