Pendant
/ˈpɛn.dənt/noun
A piece of jewelry that hangs from a chain or cord, or something that hangs down.
Did you know?Pendant comes through French from Latin *pendere*, meaning “to hang,” the same ancient root behind words like *depend* and *suspend*—so even in modern English, it still carries the energy of being held up by something unseen.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*spend-
“to stretch, draw out, weigh, or hang”
Latin
Latin
pendere
“to hang; to weigh”
Late Latin
Latin
pendantem
“hanging, suspended”
Old French
Old French
pendant
“hanging; a hanging ornament”
Middle English
English
pendaunt
“a hanging ornament”
Modern English
English
pendant
“a piece of jewelry hanging from a chain or cord”
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