pertain

English

Etymology

From Middle English pertenen, from Old French partenir, pertenir (modern French appartenir), in turn from Latin pertineō, pertinēre.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /pəˈteɪn/

  • Audio (Berkshire):

    (file)

  • Audio (London):

    (file)

• (General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /pɚˈteɪn/
• (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA^(key): /pəˈtæɪn/
• Rhymes: -eɪn
• Hyphenation: per‧tain

Verb

pertain (third-person singular simple present pertains, present participle pertaining, simple past and past participle pertained)

1. (intransitive) To belong to or be connected as a part, adjunct, attribute, or accessory.

   Synonym: belong

   That spare wheel pertains to this car.

2. (intransitive) To relate to, concern, or be relevant to.

   Synonyms: relate, concern

   That question doesn't pertain to the topic, so I'm not going to answer it.

3. (intransitive) To apply; to be or remain in place; to continue to be applicable.

   Synonym: apply

   • 1996, Macy Nulman, The Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer, page 340:

     An explanation offered is that every Sabbath Va'ani Tefilati is said in praise of the people of Israel, who, though they eat and drink, read the Torah and pray. However, on Yom Kippur this does not pertain.

4. To be appropriate or suitable.

   Synonyms: suit, befit

Usage notes

• In all the above senses, pertain is followed by to (or (archaic or poetic) unto).

Quotations

(relate):

• 1989, Sort out any booklets or manuals that pertain to the heating system or any other fixture that you are leaving behind. — One's company, Underwood, Lynn, Southampton: Ashford.

Synonyms

• appertain

Antonyms

• be irrelevant

Derived terms

• pertainment
• pertainym
• unpertaining

Related terms

• pertinent
• pertinence
• pertinency

Translations

to belong

• Azerbaijani: mənsub olmaq, aid olmaq
• Bulgarian: принадлежа́ (bg) impf (prinadležá), спадам към (spadam kǎm)
• Catalan: pertànyer (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 属于 (zh) (shǔyú), 从属 (zh) (cóngshǔ)

• Czech: náležet (cs)
• Dutch: behoren (nl)
• Finnish: kuulua (fi)
• French: appartenir (fr)
• Galician: pertencer (gl)
• German: gehören (de), verbunden (de)
• Hungarian: tartozik (hu)
• Italian: riguardare (it), pertenere (it), attenere (it), spettare (it)
• Macedonian: принадлежи (prinadleži)
• Pennsylvania German: aabelange
• Polish: należeć (pl)
• Portuguese: pertencer (pt)
• Russian: принадлежа́ть (ru) (prinadležátʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: buin
• Slovak: prináleží
• Slovene: nanašati se
• Spanish: pertenecer (es)
• Swedish: gälla (sv), höra till, tillhöra (sv)
• Turkish: âit olmak, ilgili olmak, mahsus olmak
• Ukrainian: нале́жати (uk) impf (naléžaty)
• Zazaki: aid biyen

to relate

• Azerbaijani: mənsub olmaq, aid olmaq, dəxli olmaq
• Bulgarian: отнасям се (otnasjam se)
• Burmese: သက်ဆိုင် (my) (sakhcuing)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 有关 (zh) (yǒuguān)

• Dutch: betreffen (nl)
• German: betreffen (de), sich beziehen auf
• Greek: αναφέρομαι (el) (anaféromai)
• Hungarian: vonatkozik (hu)
• Italian: riferirsi (it), riguardare (it)
• Japanese: 関する (ja) (kan-suru), 関係する (ja) (kankei-suru)
• Macedonian: се однесува (se odnesuva)
• Norwegian: gjelde (no)
• Old English: belimpan
• Pennsylvania German: aabelange
• Polish: odnosić (pl) impf się, nawiązywać (pl) impf, dotyczyć (pl), tyczyć
• Portuguese: referir-se a
• Russian: относи́ться (ru) (otnosítʹsja)
• Slovak: patrí, prislúcha, súvisí
• Slovene: nanašati se
• Spanish: competer (es), incumbir (es), atañer (es)
• Swedish: angå (sv), beträffa (sv)
• Turkish: uygun olmak (tr), uymak (tr)
• Ukrainian: відно́ситися impf (vidnósytysja), стосува́тися (uk) impf (stosuvátysja)
• Zazaki: hol biyen

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked‌: "to relate"

• Telugu: ^{(please verify)} సంబంధించు (te) (sambandhiñcu)

Anagrams

• Painter, Parenti, apterin, painter, parient, pine tar, repaint, terapin