attend
Meaning
to be present at an event, meeting, or function
to go regularly to a place, such as a school or church
to deal with or take care of someone or something
to pay attention to something
Structure
Usage
Over three hundred people are expected to attend the conference.
All children are required to attend school until the age of sixteen.
The nurse will attend to the patient's needs shortly.
Etymology
The word 'attend' originates from the Latin verb 'attendere', a compound of 'ad-' (to, toward) and 'tendere' (to stretch). The literal sense was "to stretch one's mind toward," implying a focused direction of effort or awareness. This evolved in Old French as 'atendre', meaning to wait, expect, or direct one's attention. By the late 14th century, English adopted it, initially with the primary meaning of "to direct one's mind or energies," which naturally extended to the modern senses of being present, caring for, or paying heed to something or someone.
Analysis
- at: Latin origin (ad-), a prefix meaning "to, toward, near." - tend: Latin origin (tendere), a root meaning "to stretch, extend, strive."