Etymology

retinue

R1E1T1I1N1U1E1

Today it means: A group of attendants or servants, especially of someone considered important. Full definition →

Middle English retenue ← Old French retenue
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The story

  1. Old French · derived fromretenue
  2. Middle English · inherited fromretenue
  3. English todayretinue

From Middle English retenue, from Old French retenue, past participle of retenir (“retain”). Doublet of ritenuto.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.