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Origin and history of intendant

intendant(n.)

"one who has charge of some business," 1650s, from French intendant (16c.), from Latin intendantem, present participle of intendere "turn one's attention, exert oneself" (see intend).

also from 1650s

Entries linking to intendant

intend(v.)

c. 1300, entenden, "direct one's attention to, pay attention, give heed," from Old French entendre, intendre "to direct one's attention" (in Modern French principally "to hear"), from Latin intendere "turn one's attention, strain (in quest of something), be zealous," literally "stretch out, extend," from in- "toward" (from PIE root *en "in") + tendere "to stretch" (from PIE root *ten- "to stretch").

The sense of "have as a plan, have in mind or purpose" (late 14c.) was present in Latin. A Germanic word for this was ettle, from Old Norse ætla "to think, conjecture, propose," from Proto-Germanic *ahta "consideration, attention" (source also of Old English eaht, German acht). Related: Intended; intending.

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