Tense
late 17th century: from Latin tensus ‘stretched’, from the verb tendere .
wiktionary
From Middle English tens, from Old French tens (modern French temps), from Latin tempus. Doublet of tempo.
Borrowed from Latin tēnsus, one form of the past participle of tendō(“stretch”).
etymonline
tense (adj.)
"stretched tight," 1660s, from Latin tensus, past participle of tendere "to stretch, extend," from PIE root *ten- "to stretch." Figurative sense of "in a state of nervous tension" is first recorded 1821. Related: Tensely; tenseness.
tense (n.)
"form of a verb showing time of an action or state," early 14c., tens "time," also "tense of a verb" (late 14c.), from Old French tens "time, period of time, era; occasion, opportunity; weather" (11c., Modern French temps), from Latin tempus "a portion of time" (also source of Spanish tiempo, Italian tempo; see temporal).
tense (v.)
"to make tense," 1670s, from tense (adj.); intransitive sense of "to become tense" (often tense up) is recorded from 1946. Related: Tensed; tensing.
