rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryRoot: -ance
French

-ance

an action, state, or quality

Forms

  • -ance

Origin

French continued Latin -antia, formed from the action-describing ending -ant-.

11 / 11
A valuable antique vase accompanied by a chronological visual record: three overlapping archival photographs show the same distinctive vase in an old private collection, on an auction pedestal, and in a museum display.
noun

provenance

PRAH-vuh-nuns/ˈprɑːvənəns/

The history of where something came from.

Etymology
proLatinbefore, forward; on behalf of
+venLatincome
+anceFrenchan action, state, or quality

The pieces express ‘coming forth,’ which became the idea of origin or source. An object's provenance concerns where it came from, including the ownership history that traces that origin.

Full entry

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