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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
I read this phrase:
"...the solace of female tendance for his declining years"...
and looked up 'tendance' for a more precise definition than the one I'd assumed from context. I'd assumed 'attendance' was related (correct assumption), but not exactly.
'Tendance' was a shortened form of attendance, but the definition was specific with 'watchful care,' which I like very much.
Despite thousands of Google hits that I didn't check out (!), the first three pages of hits were mostly French. Even with an advanced search supposedly in English, I still kept getting French usage of 'tendance.' It doesn't appear to be a word with much activity. (I wonder what the linguistic term is for active words?)
So, I wonder whether 'tendance' is a word that is going by the wayside with 'attendance' taking its place, both in carrying out those deeds requiring 'watchful care' and those that are less caring.
Too bad, if so. It is a lovely word and concept.
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
Wordwise, I did a News google for tendance and got one(1) hit, from the Sudan Tribune, a French/English language paper.
Of course, it was used in a French context.
aside: would you like your eleventeen cent payment sent via email, or should I just start a running account for you?
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
Your tendance of a running account will be ample.
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
Tendre in French is an adjective meaning "tender"; and -ance is an ending of well-known usage in both languages. Therefore I would guess that tendrance is a shortening of what might have originally been tendr'ance, where the French dropped the e just as we do sometimes. It sounds as if tendrance is a handy, one-word way of saying 'care for with tenderness'.
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
The 'r' must have been dropped, too, Jackie, for the word is tendance, not 'tendrance.'
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467 |
>eleventeen cent payment
This must have something to do with the money involved in the old contract at the dance hall of "ten cents a dance" which is obvious to all as the source of the word tendance, particularly when you notice that they just dropped the centsa out of the phrase.
Now, if someone will just parse that sentence for me.
TEd
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210 |
I tend to think it's just a noun thingy of tend.
formerly known as etaoin...
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