penchant
UK[ˈpɒ̃ʃɒ̃]US[ˈpentʃənt]
n
a strong or habitual liking for something or tendency to do something
Morpheme Breakdown
pench
ant
pench
incline
ant
adjective suffix
Etymology
The word 'penchant' entered English in the late 17th century from the French word 'penchant', the present participle of 'pencher' meaning 'to incline'. Its ultimate source is the Latin verb 'pendēre', meaning 'to hang', which also gave rise to words like 'pendulum' and 'suspend'. The semantic journey moved from the physical act of hanging or leaning towards a metaphorical inclination or bias of the mind. Thus, a 'penchant' is a mental leaning—a strong and often habitual liking or tendency.
Analysis
Structure: pench (incline) + ant (adjective suffix)
pench (from Old French 'pencher', meaning 'to incline, lean', from Vulgar Latin pendicāre, a frequentative of Latin pendēre 'to hang'); ant (from French -ant, from Latin -ant-, -āns, present participle suffix, forming adjectives meaning 'having the quality of').
Examples
She has a penchant for spicy food and exotic flavors.
His penchant for taking risks eventually led to both his greatest successes and failures.
The director's films are known for their visual flair and a penchant for unconventional storytelling.