pendeloque

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*(s)pend-“to stretch”
2. Latin · derived frompendere
3. Old French · derived frompendeloche“penis”
4. French · borrowed frompendeloque“hanging object; religious medallion, probably in pendant form; jewel hanging from an earring; small crystal piece, especially one hanging from a chandelier”
5. English todaypendeloque

Borrowed from French pendeloque (“hanging object; religious medallion, probably in pendant form; jewel hanging from an earring; small crystal piece, especially one hanging from a chandelier”) [and other forms], from Old French pendeloche (“penis”) (apparently a hapax legomenon), from pendeler (“to dangle”) + -oche (suffix forming nouns from verbs), with the ending possibly influenced by breloque (“charm for a bracelet”). Pendeler is derived from pendre (“to hang”) + -eler (frequentative suffix); and pendre from Latin pendere, the present active infinitive of pendeō (“to hang (down)”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pend- (“to stretch”).

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 19th c. A drop-shaped diamond or other gem used as a pendant; also, a piece of jewellery in pendant form.