Pens
/pɛnz/noun
Plural of pen, a writing instrument; also the third-person singular present of pen.
Did you know?The English pen began as a feather quill, from Latin *penna* meaning both “feather” and “wing,” so the tool of writing is etymologically tied to flight.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pet-
“to fly, to fall, to rush”
Latin
Latin
penna
“feather; wing”
Late Latin
Latin
penna / penna scriptoria
“feather used for writing”
Old French
Old French
penne
“quill, feather pen”
Middle English
English
pen
“quill used for writing”
Modern English
English
pens
“plural of pen; or third-person singular present of pen”