Etymograph

English

entonic

Entonic comes from Ancient Greek ἔντονος ‘strained’, 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 BCEἔντονος2éntonos‘strained’
  6. Englishtodayentonic2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek τείνω
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English entonic

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, English entonic‘to stretch, extend’
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἔντονοςWiktionary, English entonicéntonos‘strained’
  6. EnglishtodayentonicWiktionary, English entonic

Linked words

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

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

through Ancient Greek τείνω ‘to stretch, extend’

tone, titanium, tetanus, hypotenuse, 8 more

Today it means

adj Having great tension, or exaggerated action.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “entonic”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Ancient Greek τείνω. 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- / entonic

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