Etymograph

English

ektenes

Ektenes comes from Ancient Greek ἐκτενής ‘stretched out, strained, outstretched, extended’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *ten-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ten-1‘stretch’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tén-ye-ti1reconstructedinnovative ye-present of *ten-
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*téňňō1‘to stretch’reconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEτείνω2‘to stretch’
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐκτείνω3‘to stretch out’
  6. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐκτενής4‘stretched out, strained, outstretched, extended’literally ‘diligence’
  7. Englishtodayektenes4

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek τείνω
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek ἐκτείνω
  3. 3 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek ἐκτενής
  4. 4 Wiktionary, English ektenes

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ten-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek τείνω‘stretch’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tén-ye-tiWiktionary, Ancient Greek τείνωreconstructedinnovative ye-present of *ten-
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*téňňōWiktionary, Ancient Greek τείνω‘to stretch’reconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEτείνωWiktionary, Ancient Greek ἐκτείνω‘to stretch’
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐκτείνωWiktionary, Ancient Greek ἐκτενής‘to stretch out’
  6. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐκτενήςWiktionary, English ektenes‘stretched out, strained, outstretched, extended’literally ‘diligence’
  7. EnglishtodayektenesWiktionary, English ektenes

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *ten- ‘stretch’

continue, tight, content, contain, obtain, entertainment, ton, maintenance, continuous, retain, tune, sustain, tennis, continent, tender, detention, retention, continuum, tonic, rein, tenant, detain, pristine, abstain, pertinent, tenor, pertain, tendon, abstinence, tenacity, tenacious, sustenance, retinue, tantra, countenance, incontinence, tenet, tenement, maintainer, abstention, 69 more

through Ancient Greek τείνω ‘to stretch’

tone, titanium, tetanus, hypotenuse, 8 more

Today it means

noun —

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “ektenes”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Ancient Greek τείνω, Ancient Greek ἐκτείνω, Ancient Greek ἐκτενής. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ten- / ektenes

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