Etymograph

English

entasis

Entasis comes from Ancient Greek ἔντασις ‘tension, straining’, from τείνω ‘to stretch, extend’, and ultimately from 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, extend’
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐντείνω3enteínō‘to stretch or strain tight’
  6. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἔντασις3éntasis‘tension, straining’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEentasis3
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1859entasis3

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek τείνω
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek ἐντείνω
  3. 3 Wiktionary, English entasis
  4. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1859, Journal of the Society of Arts: “It was simply the curve of the entasis, approximating…”.

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 ἐντείνω‘to stretch, extend’
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐντείνωWiktionary, English entasisenteínō‘to stretch or strain tight’
  6. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἔντασιςWiktionary, English entasiséntasis‘tension, straining’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEentasisWiktionary, English entasis
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1859entasisWiktionary, English entasis. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1859, Journal of the Society of Arts: “It was simply the curve of the entasis, approximating…”

Linked words

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

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

through Ancient Greek τείνω ‘to stretch, extend’

tone, titanium, tetanus, hypotenuse, 8 more

Today it means

noun A slight convex curvature introduced into the shaft of a column for aesthetic reasons, or to compensate for the illusion of concavity.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “entasis”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Ancient Greek τείνω, Ancient Greek ἐντείνω. 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- / entasis

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