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