teneo

Latin

Alternative forms

• teniō (late)

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *tenēō, stative from Proto-Indo-European *ten- (“to stretch, draw”). See also Ancient Greek τείνω (teínō), Persian تنیدن (tanidan, “to weave”), Sanskrit तनोति (tanóti) and Old English þennan.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈte.ne.oː/, [ˈt̪ɛneoː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈte.ne.o/, [ˈt̪ɛːneo]

Verb

teneō (present infinitive tenēre, perfect active tenuī, supine tentum); second conjugation

1. to hold, have; to grasp
2. to possess, occupy, control
3. to watch, guard, maintain, defend; to retain, keep
4. to reach, attain; to gain, acquire, obtain
5. to hold fast or back, restrain, detain, check, confine, control; to bind, fetter
   • 29 BCE – 19 BCE, Virgil, Aeneid 4.307–308:

     “Nec tē noster amor, nec tē data dextera quondam,
     nec moritūra tenet crūdēlī fūnere Dīdō?”

     “[So nothing] detains you [from leaving]? Not our love? Not having once given me your hand? Not [even the thought of your] Dido about to die a cruel death?”

6. (reflexive) to keep back, remain, stay, hold position
7. to know, grasp, understand, conceive
8. to recollect, retain knowledge of, remember, bear in mind
9. to insist, uphold
10. (of laws) to be binding on; to bind, hold, obligate
11. to arrive at a place, reach
12. to set, fix, hold on a fixed position
13. to hold in prison
14. to comprise, contain, include, hold
15. to hold someone's interest, to be interesting (to someone)

    Hic liber me tenet.

    This book interests me; I find this book interesting.

16. to embrace, hug
17. to hold on, last

Conjugation

The supine form tenetum occurs only in compound verbs.

   Conjugation of teneō (second conjugation)

indicative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	teneō	tenēs	tenet	tenēmus	tenētis	tenent
	imperfect	tenēbam	tenēbās	tenēbat	tenēbāmus	tenēbātis	tenēbant
	future	tenēbō	tenēbis	tenēbit	tenēbimus	tenēbitis	tenēbunt
	perfect	tenuī	tenuistī	tenuit	tenuimus	tenuistis	tenuērunt, tenuēre
	pluperfect	tenueram	tenuerās	tenuerat	tenuerāmus	tenuerātis	tenuerant
	future perfect	tenuerō	tenueris	tenuerit	tenuerimus	tenueritis	tenuerint
passive	present	teneor	tenēris, tenēre	tenētur	tenēmur	tenēminī	tenentur
	imperfect	tenēbar	tenēbāris, tenēbāre	tenēbātur	tenēbāmur	tenēbāminī	tenēbantur
	future	tenēbor	tenēberis, tenēbere	tenēbitur	tenēbimur	tenēbiminī	tenēbuntur
	perfect	tentus + present active indicative of sum
	pluperfect	tentus + imperfect active indicative of sum
	future perfect	tentus + future active indicative of sum
subjunctive		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	teneam	teneās	teneat	teneāmus	teneātis	teneant
imperfect	tenērem	tenērēs	tenēret	tenērēmus	tenērētis	tenērent
perfect	tenuerim	tenuerīs	tenuerit	tenuerīmus	tenuerītis	tenuerint
pluperfect	tenuissem	tenuissēs	tenuisset	tenuissēmus	tenuissētis	tenuissent
passive	present	tenear	teneāris, teneāre	teneātur	teneāmur	teneāminī	teneantur
imperfect	tenērer	tenērēris, tenērēre	tenērētur	tenērēmur	tenērēminī	tenērentur
perfect	tentus + present active subjunctive of sum
pluperfect	tentus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
imperative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	—	tenē	—	—	tenēte	—
	future	—	tenētō	tenētō	—	tenētōte	tenentō
passive	present	—	tenēre	—	—	tenēminī	—
	future	—	tenētor	tenētor	—	—	tenentor
non-finite forms		active			passive
		present	perfect	future	present	perfect	future
infinitives		tenēre	tenuisse	tentūrum esse	tenērī	tentum esse	tentum īrī
participles		tenēns	—	tentūrus	—	tentus	tenendus
verbal nouns		gerund				supine
		genitive	dative	accusative	ablative	accusative	ablative
		tenendī	tenendō	tenendum	tenendō	tentum	tentū

• There exists an archaic reduplicated perfect tetinī

Synonyms

• (have, grasp): habeō, obtineō, possideō, concipio, capio, comprehendo, retineo, apiscor, prehenso, capesso, apprehendō, sustineo, arripiō
• (defend): salvō, tūtor, vindicō, cū̆stōdiō, tueor, sospitō, adimō, prōtegō, tegō, dēfendō, sustineō, ēripiō, arceō, servō, mūniō, prohibeō
• (understand): apprehendō, comprehendō, accipiō, cognōscō, concipiō, dēprehendō, apīscor, capiō, complector, excipiō, cōnsequor, exaudiō
• (acquire): acquīrō, adipīscor, cōnsequor, parō, pariō, impetrō, mereō, sūmō, emō, comparō, apīscor, obtineō, conciliō, nancīscor, alliciō
• (arrive): perveniō, adveniō, ēvādō, obeō, adsum, prehendō, tangō
• (contain, include): contineō, complector, inclūdō, apprehendō, amplector, cohibeō
• (occupy): occupō, obtineō, possideō, potior, compleō, capio, prehēnso, retineo, obsideō, adipīscor, apprehendō, comprehendō, excipio
• (maintain): servō, sustentō, contineō, cū̆stōdiō, cōnservō
• (watch): inspicio, conspicio, curo, intueor, specto, animadverto
• (detain): impedio, prohibeo, resisto, arceo, retineo
• (control): rego, ordino, domino
• (set): collocō, sisto, statuo, pono, figo, constituo, impono
• (embrace): complector, amplector, implicō

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “understand”): nesciō, ignōrō
• (antonym(s) of “acquire”): āmittō
• (antonym(s) of “defend”): īnstō, aggredior, incurrō, impetō, invehō

Derived terms

• abstineō
• attineō
• circumteneō
• contineō
• dētineō
• distineō
• manūteneō
• obtineō
• pertineō/ perteneō
• retineō
• sustineō/ subteneō
• tenāculum
• tenāx
• tenēns
• tenor
• tentus
• trānstineō

Descendants

(Some descendants show an extension of /ɲ/ from the 1SG form (< tɛ́njo < teneō) throughout the inflection paradigm; hence Venetan tegner or Francoprovençal tegnir.)

• Balkan Romance:
  • Aromanian: tsãn, tsãnu, tsen
  • Istro-Romanian: ţir, ţire
  • Megleno-Romanian: tsǫn
  • Romanian: ține, ținea — archaic
• Dalmatian:
  • tenar
• Italo-Romance:
  • Corsican: tena
  • Italian: tenere
  • Neapolitan: tenere
  • Sicilian: tèniri
• North Italian:
  • Venetan: tegner, tegnar
• Insular Romance:
  • Sardinian: tènnere, tenni, tènniri
• Ibero-Romance:
  • Aragonese: tener
  • Asturian: tener
  • Mirandese: tener
  • Old Galician-Portuguese: tẽer, teer
    • Galician: ter
    • Portuguese: ter
  • Spanish: tener
• Borrowings:
  • →⇒ English: tenet (via third-person singular tenet)

Reflexes of the late variant tenīre:

• North Italian:
  • Gallo-Italic:
    • Lombard: tegnì
    • Old Ligurian: tegnir
    • Piedmontese: tnì
  • Friulian: tignî
  • Romansch: tgnair
  • Old Venetan: tignir (Treviso)
  • Venetan: tenjir
• Gallo-Romance:
  • Catalan: tenir
  • Franco-Provençal: tenir
  • Old French: tenir (see there for further descendants)
  • Old Occitan: tenir
    • Occitan: tenir

References

• Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002) “tĕnēre”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, volumes 13: T–Ti, page 223

Further reading

• “teneo”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• teneo in Enrico Olivetti, editor (2003-2024), Dizionario Latino, Olivetti Media Communication
• “teneo”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• teneo in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • the rain continues: imber tenet (Liv. 23. 44. 6)
    
  • from one's cradle, from one's earliest childhood: a teneris unguiculis (ἐξ ἁπαλων ὀνύχων) (Fam. 1. 6. 2)
    
  • I abide by this opinion: illud, hoc teneo
    
  • I have great hopes that..: magna me spes tenet (with Acc. c. Inf.) (Tusc. 1. 41. 97)
    
  • (ambiguous) to hold something in one's hand: manu or in manu tenere aliquid
    
  • (ambiguous) to hold fast in the teeth (also metaphorically, obstinately): mordicus tenere aliquid
    
  • (ambiguous) to be scarcely able to restrain one's laughter: risum tenere vix posse
    
  • (ambiguous) to be hardly able to restrain one's tears: lacrimas tenere non posse
    
  • (ambiguous) to be confined to one's bed: lecto teneri
    
  • (ambiguous) to be in gross error, seriously misled: magno errore teneri
    
  • (ambiguous) to abide by one's resolution: propositum, consilium tenere (opp. a proposito deterreri)
    
  • (ambiguous) to remember a thing perfectly: memoriā tenere aliquid
    
  • (ambiguous) to remember a thing perfectly: memoriam alicuius rei tenere
    
  • (ambiguous) to have a vivid recollection of a thing: recenti memoria tenere aliquid
    
  • (ambiguous) to be enamoured of philosophy: philosophiae (sapientiae) studio teneri (Acad. 1. 2. 4)
    
  • (ambiguous) to insist on a point: tenere aliquid; stare in aliqua re
    
  • (ambiguous) to be well versed in Roman history: memoriam rerum gestarum (rerum Romanarum) tenere
    
  • (ambiguous) to be considered the foremost orator: eloquentiae principatum tenere
    
  • (ambiguous) to rivet the attention of..: animos tenere
    
  • (ambiguous) to cherish a hope: spe duci, niti, teneri
    
  • (ambiguous) to long for a thing, yearn for it: desiderio alicuius rei teneri, affici (more strongly flagrare, incensum esse)
    
  • (ambiguous) to be bound by one's word; to be on one's honour: fide obstrictum teneri (Pis. 13. 29)
    
  • (ambiguous) to have an inclination for a thing: studio alicuius rei teneri
    
  • (ambiguous) to observe moderation, be moderate: modum tenere, retinere, servare, adhibere
    
  • (ambiguous) to observe the golden mean: mediocritatem tenere (Off. 1. 25. 89)
    
  • (ambiguous) to remain true to one's principles: institutum tenere
    
  • (ambiguous) to be bound by oath: iureiurando teneri (Off. 3. 27. 100)
    
  • (ambiguous) to be the slave of superstition: superstitione teneri, constrictum esse, obligatum esse
    
  • (ambiguous) to never appear in public: domi se tenere
    
  • (ambiguous) to be a strict disciplinarian in one's household: severum imperium in suis exercere, tenere (De Sen. 11. 37)
    
  • (ambiguous) to keep up a usage: consuetudinem suam tenere, retinere,[TR1] servare
    
  • (ambiguous) to hold the reins of government: clavum rei publicae tenere
    
  • (ambiguous) to occupy the leading position: principatum tenere, obtinere
    
  • (ambiguous) to be bound by a law: lege teneri
    
  • (ambiguous) to have power over some one: imperium tenere (in aliquem)
    
  • (ambiguous) to keep the citizens in servile subjection: civitatem servitute oppressam tenere (Dom. 51. 131)
    
  • (ambiguous) to maintain one's right: ius suum tenere, obtinere
    
  • (ambiguous) to be convicted by some one's evidence: testibus teneri, convictum esse
    
  • (ambiguous) to be commander-in-chief: imperii summam tenere (Rep. 2. 28)
    
  • (ambiguous) to hold a mountain: tenere montem (B. G. 1. 22)
    
  • (ambiguous) to remain inactive in camp: se (quietum) tenere castris
    
  • (ambiguous) to keep a town in a state of siege: oppidum in obsidione tenere
    
  • (ambiguous) to hold on one's course: cursum tenere (opp. commutare and deferri)
    
  • (ambiguous) to steer: clavum tenere
    
  • (ambiguous) to keep the coast and harbours in a state of blockade: litora ac portus custodia clausos tenere
    
• teneo in Ramminger, Johann (2016 July 16 (last accessed)) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎^[2], pre-publication website, 2005-2016