Transcend
/trænˈsɛnd/noun
To go beyond the limits of something; to rise above or surpass.
Did you know?Transcend comes from Latin *transcendere*, a verb built from *trans-* “across, beyond” + *scandere* “to climb,” so its ancient image is of scaling past a barrier.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*skand-
“to climb, leap”
Latin
Latin
scandere
“to climb; to mount”
Late Latin
Latin
transcendere
“to climb across; to step over”
Old French
Old French
transcendre
“to surpass; to rise above”
Middle English
English
transcenden
“to rise above; exceed”
Modern English
English
transcend
“to go beyond the limits of something”
Explore more surprising origins