depend
Meaning
To be controlled or determined by something else.
To need someone or something for support, help, or to be able to live.
Structure
Usage
Whether the game goes ahead depends on the weather.
Children depend on their parents for food and shelter.
The success of the project depends heavily on good communication.
Etymology
The word "depend" originates from the Latin verb dependēre, which is a compound of de- ("down from") and pendēre ("to hang"). The literal sense was "to hang down from" something. This physical imagery evolved metaphorically to describe a state of being suspended from, and thus conditioned or controlled by, a determining factor. Over time, the core concept shifted from a physical hanging to an abstract relationship of reliance, where one thing is supported by or contingent upon another, perfectly capturing its modern meanings of reliance and conditional existence.
Analysis
de: A Latin prefix meaning "down" or "away from." pend: A Latin root from the verb pendere, meaning "to hang."