tenir

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See also: teñir

Catalan[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Inherited from Early Medieval Latin tenīre, from Classical Latin tenēre with change of conjugation to -ir also found in Occitan and French.

Pronunciation[edit]

Verb[edit]

tenir (first-person singular present tinc, first-person singular preterite tinguí, past participle tingut); root stress: (Central, Valencian, Balearic) /e/

  1. to have, possess
  2. to hold

Conjugation[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

References[edit]

Franco-Provençal[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Inherited from Early Medieval Latin tenīre, from Classical Latin tenēre.

Verb[edit]

tenir

  1. to hold

Conjugation[edit]

French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Inherited from Middle French tenir, from Old French tenir, from Early Medieval Latin tenīre, from Classical Latin tenēre.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /tə.niʁ/
  • (file)

Verb[edit]

tenir

  1. (transitive) to have; to hold
  2. (transitive) to keep
  3. (intransitive) to stay; to hold
    tenir bonto hold fast, to hold tight
  4. (reflexive, transitive with à) to hold on
    Elle descend en se tenant aux racines.She comes down using the roots for handles (literally, “She comes down holding on to the roots.”)
    La vie ne tient qu’à un fil.Life hangs but by a thread.
  5. (reflexive) to hold oneself, to be standing
    Il se tenait dans le coin.He stood in the corner.
  6. (reflexive) to maintain, remain in a certain position or disposition
    Tiens-toi droit !Keep yourself straight!
  7. (reflexive) to behave
    Synonym: se comporter
    Tiens-toi bien.Behave yourself.
    Elle se tient immobile sur la corde raide.She stays still on the tightrope.
  8. (transitive with à) to be attached to something, to be fond of something, to hold something dear; to wish to
  9. (transitive with pour) to consider something as
    se le tenir pour ditto take it as read
    tenir quelque chose pour acquisto take something for granted
    tenir quelqu’un pour riento see someone as insignificant, to treat someone as insignificant
  10. (transitive with pour) to support someone
  11. (transitive with contre) to hold against, to defend against something
  12. (reflexive, Quebec, slang) to hang out
    • 1975, Beau Dommage, "Le Vent d'la ville", Passagers, Capitol Record (ST-70.055 [V], 4XL56355 [K7], CDL-56355 [CD]):
      "J'me tenais dans l’ouest de la ville, ça me fait plus peur l’exil"
      I used to hang out in the west end; exile doesn't scare me anymore.

Conjugation[edit]

This is a verb in a group of -ir verbs. All verbs ending in -tenir, such as contenir and détenir, are conjugated this way. Such verbs are the only verbs whose the past historic and subjunctive imperfect endings do not start in one of these thematic vowels (-a-, -i-, -u-).

This is a verb in a group of -ir verbs. All verbs ending in -tenir, such as contenir and détenir, are conjugated this way. Such verbs are the only verbs whose the past historic and subjunctive imperfect endings do not start in one of these thematic vowels (-a-, -i-, -u-).

Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

  • Saint Dominican Creole French: tini

Further reading[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

Ido[edit]

Verb[edit]

tenir

  1. past infinitive of tenar

Middle French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old French tenir.

Noun[edit]

tenir

  1. to hold

Descendants[edit]

  • French: tenir
    • Saint Dominican Creole French: tini

References[edit]

  • Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l’ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IXe au XVe siècle (1881) (tenir, supplement)

Norman[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old French tenir, from Early Medieval Latin tenīre, from Classical Latin tenēre.

Verb[edit]

tenir

  1. to possess; to have
  2. to hold

Conjugation[edit]

Occitan[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old Occitan tenir, from early Medieval Latin tenīre, from Latin tenēre.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (file)

Verb[edit]

tenir

  1. Alternative form of téner

Old French[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Inherited from Early Medieval Latin tenīre, from Classical Latin tenēre.

Verb[edit]

tenir

  1. to possess; to have
  2. to hold

Conjugation[edit]

This verb conjugates as a third-group verb. This verb has a stressed present stem tien distinct from the unstressed stem ten, as well as other irregularities. Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide.

Descendants[edit]

Old Occitan[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Inherited from Early Medieval Latin tenīre, from Classical Latin tenēre.

Verb[edit]

tenir

  1. to possess; to have
  2. to hold

Descendants[edit]

References[edit]