Word of the Day : April 2, 2021

pertain \per-TAYN\ verb

Definition

1 a (1) : to belong as a part, member, accessory, or product 

(2) : to belong as an attribute, feature, or function

(3) : to belong as a duty or right

b : to be appropriate to something 

2 : to have reference

Did You Know?

Pertain comes to English via Anglo-French from the Latin verb pertinēre, meaning "to reach to" or "to belong." Pertinēre, in turn, was formed by combining the prefix per- (meaning "through") and tenēre ("to hold"). Tenēre is a popular root in English words and often manifests with the -tain spelling that can be seen in pertain. Other descendants include abstain, contain, detain, maintain, obtain, retain, and sustain, to name a few of the more common ones. Not every -tain word has tenēre in its ancestry, though. Ascertain, attain, and certain are among the exceptions. And a few tenēre words don't follow the usual pattern: tenacious and tenure are two.

Aired April 2, 2021

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