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per·tain

(pər-tān)

intr.v. per·tained, per·tain·ing, per·tains

1. To have reference or relevance; relate: evidence that pertains to the accident.

2. To belong as an adjunct, part, holding, or quality: skills that pertain to engineering.

3. To be fitting or suitable: conduct that pertains to an officer.

[Middle English pertenen, pertainen, from Old French partenir, from Latin pertinēre : per-, per- + tenēre, to hold; see ten- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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