pendulum

Where does the word "pendulum" come from? It comes from Latin pendere, passing through Latin and New Latin before entering English (1660s).

Pendulum’s story begins in Latin: pendere meant “to hang.” The root of 'pendant', 'suspend' and 'depend'. Within Latin, it grew into pendulus by ancient. Hanging, from pendere. From there it passed into New Latin as pendulum by 1600s. Formed from pendulus for a weight that swings freely from a fixed point. It reached English by 1660s as pendulum. Christiaan Huygens built the first pendulum clock in 1656. Today, pendulum means a weight suspended so it swings freely back and forth, as in a clock.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient pendere "to hang", the root of 'pendant', 'suspend' and 'depend'.
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient pendulus "hanging", hanging, from pendere.
3. Stage 3 · New Latin · 1600s pendulum "a weight that swings freely from a fixed point", formed from pendulus for a weight that swings freely from a fixed point.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1660s pendulum "a weight that swings back and forth under gravity", Christiaan Huygens built the first pendulum clock in 1656.