different between denizen vs tenant

English

Etymology

From Middle English denisein, from Old French denzein, from deinz (“within”) +? -ein, from Late Latin deintus (“from within”), whence French dans.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /?d?n.?.z?n/

Noun

denizen (plural denizens)

1. An inhabitant of a place; one who dwells in.

   The giant squid is one of many denizens of the deep.

   • 1820, Walter Scott, Ivanhoe, Chapter 39,^[1]

     […] adversity bends the heart as fire bends the stubborn steel, and those who are no longer their own governors, and the denizens of their own free independent state, must crouch before strangers.

   • 1912: Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan of the Apes, Chapter 6

     The cries of the gorilla proclaimed that it was in mortal combat with some other denizen of the fierce wood. Suddenly these cries ceased, and the silence of death reigned throughout the jungle.

2. One who frequents a place.

   The denizens of that pub are of the roughest sort.

   • 1839, Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist, Chapter 26,^[2]

     He was well known to the sallow denizens of the lane; for such of them as were on the look-out to buy or sell, nodded, familiarly, as he passed along.
3. (Britain, historical) A person with rights between those of naturalized citizen and resident alien (roughly permanent resident), obtained through letters patent.
   • 1548, Edward Hall, The Union of the Two Noble and Illustre Famelies of Lancastre and Yorke, London, The xiiii yere,^[4]

     Then by commaundement wer all Fre[n]chemen and Scottes imprisoned and the goodes seazed, and all suche as were denizens were commaunded to shewe their letters patentes […]

   • 1765, William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England, Book 1, Chapter X, p. 374

     A denizen is a kind of middle state, between an alien and a natural-born subject, and partakes of both.

   • 1803, John Browne Cutting, “A Succinct History of Jamaica” in Robert Charles Dallas, The History of the Maroons, London: Longman and Rees, Volume 1, p. xlv,^[5]

     All free persons were authorized and permitted to transport themselves, their families, and goods […] to Jamaica, from any part of the British dominions; and their children born in Jamaica were declared free denizens of England, entitled to the same privileges as free born subjects of England.

   Though born in Iceland, he became a denizen of Britain after leaving Oxford.

4. (biology) An animal or plant from a particular range or habitat.

   The bald eagle is a denizen of the northern part of the state.

5. A foreign word that has become naturalised in another language.

Usage notes

As a British legal category, used between 13th and 19th century (mentioned but not used in 20th century), made obsolete by naturalisation – see denization.

Synonyms

• (inhabitant of a place): dweller, inhabitant, native, resident
• (one who frequents a place): regular

Derived terms

• denization
• denizenship

Related terms

• citizen

Translations

Verb

denizen (third-person singular simple present denizens, present participle denizening, simple past and past participle denizened)

1. (transitive, Britain, historical) To grant rights of citizenship to; to naturalize.

   He was denizened to Ireland after fleeing his home country.

   • 1664, John Evelyn, Sylva, or A Discourse of Forest-Trees and the Propagation of Timber, London: 1670, Chapter 7, “Of the Chesnut,” p. 42,^[6]

     [The Horse-Chessnut] was first brought from Constantinople to Vienna, thence into Italy, and so France; but to ?s from the Levant more immediately, and flourishes so well, and grows so goodly a Tree in compe[te]nt time, that by this alone, we might have ample encouragement to Denizen other strangers amongst us.

   • 1693, John Dryden (translator), The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis, London: Jacob Tonson, The Third Satyr, p. 38,^[7]

     Poor Refugies at first, they purchase here:

     And, soon as Denizen’d, they domineer.

2. (transitive) To provide with denizens; to populate with adopted or naturalized occupants.
   • 1849, Joseph Dalton Hooker, “Extracts from the Private Letters of Dr. J. D. Hooker, written during a Botanical Mission to India” in William Jackson Hooker (editor), Hooker’s Journal of Botany and Kew Garden Miscellany, London: Reeve, Benham and Reeve, Volume 1, p. 85,^[8]

     There were a few islets in the sand […] . These were at once denizened by the Calotropis, Argemone, Tamarix, Gnaphalium luteoalbum and two other species […] .

Anagrams

• endizen

English

Alternative forms

• tenaunt, tennant, tennaunt (obsolete)

Etymology 1

From Middle English tenaunt, from Anglo-Norman tenaunt and Old French tenant, present participle of tenir (“to hold”), from Latin ten?re, present active infinitive of tene? (“hold, keep”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?t?.n?nt/, enPR: t?n?nt
• Rhymes: -?n?nt

Noun

tenant (plural tenants)

1. One who pays a fee (rent) in return for the use of land, buildings, or other property owned by others.

   Synonyms: renter, lessee, (rare) rentee
2. (by extension) One who has possession of any place.

   Synonyms: dweller, occupant

   • c. 1782-1783, William Cowper, Joy in Martyrdom

     sweet tenants of this grove

   • 1647, Abraham Cowley, The Wish

     the happy tenant of your shade
3. (computing) Any of a number of customers serviced through the same instance of an application.

4. (law) One who holds a property by any kind of right, including ownership.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• tenet

Verb

tenant (third-person singular simple present tenants, present participle tenanting, simple past and past participle tenanted)

1. To hold as, or be, a tenant.

   Synonym: lodge

2. (transitive) To inhabit.

Translations

Etymology 2

Possibly just a modification of tenet, but note obsolete tenent (“tenet”).

Noun

tenant

1. Misconstruction of tenet

Anagrams

• -netant, Annett

Cebuano

Etymology

From English tenant, borrowed from Anglo-Norman tenaunt, from Old French tenant, present participle of tenir (“to hold”), from Latin ten?re, present active infinitive of tene? (“hold, keep”). Doublet of tener and tinidor.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: te?nant

Noun

tenant

1. a tenant; one who pays a fee (rent) in return for the use of land, buildings, or other property owned by others
2. one who has possession of any place; a dweller; an occupant
3. (law) one who holds a property by any kind of right, including ownership

French

Etymology

Present participle of tenir. From Old French tenant; corresponding to Latin tenens, tenentem.

Pronunciation

Verb

tenant

1. present participle of tenir

Related terms

• lieutenant

Anagrams

• entant

Old French

Alternative forms

• tenaunt (Anglo-Norman, noun, adjective, verb)

Etymology

From the verb tenir (“to hold; to possess”); corresponding to Latin tenens, tenentem.

Noun

tenant m (oblique plural tenanz or tenantz, nominative singular tenanz or tenantz, nominative plural tenant)

1. holder
2. possessor (of land or property); tenant

Adjective

tenant m (oblique and nominative feminine singular tenant or tenante)

1. holder; owner (attributively)
2. sticky; adhesive
3. strong (of an object, etc.)

Verb

tenant

1. present participle of tenir

Descendants

• ? English: tenant
• French: tenant

References

• Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IX^e au XV^e siècle (1881) (tenant)
• tenant on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub

Welsh

Etymology

Borrowed from English tenant.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?t?nant/

Noun

tenant m (plural tenantiaid)

1. tenant

Derived terms

• tenantiaeth (“tenancy”)

Mutation

Further reading

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present) , “tenant”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies