Attend — From Old French / Latin to English | etymologist.ai
attend
/əˈtɛnd/·verb·c. 1290·Established
Origin
From Latin 'attendere' (to stretch toward), 'ad-' + 'tendere' (to stretch), PIE *ten- — attention as reaching toward something.
Definition
To be present at an event; to pay attention to; to deal with or take care of.
The Full Story
Old French / Latin13th centurywell-attested
From OldFrench 'atendre' (to expect, to wait for, to pay attention to), from Latin 'attendere' (to stretch toward, to direct one's mind toward, to give heed to), composed of 'ad-' (to, toward) + 'tendere' (to stretch, to extend, to direct). ThePIE root behind 'tendere' is *ten- (to stretch), one of the most generative roots in Indo-European. In Latin 'tendere' gave 'tentum' and 'tensum' (stretched), producing 'tension,' 'tent' (a stretched structure), 'tenor' (a sustained
Did you know?
In French, 'attendre' still means 'to wait' — not 'to attend.' This is a classic false friend betweenEnglishand French. English shifted the meaning from 'waiting for' to 'being present at,' while French preserved the original sense. A French speaker
attention and waiting upon. The meaning 'to be present at' — to attend a meeting, to attend school — developed in the 17th century from the practice of waiting upon a superior. 'Attention,' 'attendant,' 'attendance,' and 'attentive' are all from the same Latin base. Key roots: ad- (Latin: "to, toward"), *ten- (Proto-Indo-European: "to stretch").