pretend

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European*per-
2. Proto-Indo-European*preh₂-
3. Proto-Indo-European*préh₂i?
4. Proto-Italic*prai
5. Proto-Italic*prai-
6. Latinprae-
7. Proto-Indo-European*ten-
8. Proto-Indo-European*tend-
9. Proto-Indo-European*téndeti
10. Proto-Italic*tendō
11. Latintendō
12. Latinpraetendō
13. Anglo-Normanpretendre
14. English todaypretend

From Anglo-Norman pretendre, Middle French pretendre (French prétendre (“to claim, demand”)), from Latin praetendere (“to put forward, hold out, pretend”), from prae- (“pre-”) + tendō (“stretch”); see tend.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 14th c. To speak or behave so as to give a false or simulated appearance.
• from 14th c. To engage in make-believe.
• from 14th c. To feign, affect (a state, quality, etc.).
• from 15th c. To lay claim (to an ability, status, advantage, etc.).