Etymology

-ance

Today it means: Added to an adjective or verb to form a noun indicating a state or condition, such as result or capacity, associated with the verb. Full definition →

Middle English -aunce ← Anglo-Norman -aunce ← Old French -ance
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The story

  1. Latin · derived from-āns
  2. Latin · derived from-ant-
  3. Old French · derived from-ance
  4. Anglo-Norman · derived from-aunce
  5. Middle English · inherited from-aunce
  6. English today-ance

From Middle English -aunce, -ance, from Anglo-Norman -aunce and continental Old French -ance, from Latin -ant-, -ent- + -ia, from stem of Latin -āns, -ēns.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.