pretense

The story

1. Latin · derived frompraetendō“to pretend”
2. Late Latin · derived frompraetēnsus
3. Middle French · borrowed frompretensse
4. English todaypretense

Borrowed from Middle French pretensse, from Late Latin praetēnsus, past participle of Latin praetendō (“to pretend”), from prae- (“before”) + tendō (“to stretch”); see pretend.