# entretenir
## Catalan
### Etymology

From entre +‎ tenir.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: (Central, Balearic) [ən.tɾə.təˈni]
* IPA: (Valencia) [en.tɾe.teˈniɾ]
* Rhymes: -i(ɾ)

### Verb

entretenir (first-person singular present entretinc, first-person singular preterite entretinguí, past participle entretingut); root stress: (Central, Valencia, Balearic) /e/
* to delay, hold up
    Synonym: retenir
* to entertain
    Synonyms: divertir, distreure
* (pronominal) to waste time, to dawdle
* (pronominal) to be delayed
    Synonym: retardar-se
* (pronominal) to amuse oneself
    Synonym: distreure's

#### Conjugation

| infinitive | infinitive | infinitive | entretenir | entretenir | entretenir | entretenir | entretenir |
| gerund | gerund | gerund | entretenint | entretenint | entretenint | entretenint | entretenint |
| past participle | past participle | | | masculine | masculine | feminine | feminine |
| past participle | past participle | singular | singular | entretingut | entretingut | entretinguda | entretinguda |
| past participle | past participle | plural | plural | entretinguts | entretinguts | entretingudes | entretingudes |
| person | person | singular | singular | singular | plural | plural | plural |
| person | person | first | second | third | first | second | third |
| indicative | | jo | tu | ell/ella vostè | nosaltres nós | vosaltres vós | ells/elles vostès |
| indicative | present | entretinc | entretens | entreté | entretenim | entreteniu | entretenen |
| indicative | imperfect | entretenia | entretenies | entretenia | entreteníem | entreteníeu | entretenien |
| indicative | future | entretindré | entretindràs | entretindrà | entretindrem | entretindreu | entretindran |
| indicative | preterite | entretinguí | entretingueres | entretingué | entretinguérem | entretinguéreu | entretingueren |
| indicative | conditional | entretindria | entretindries | entretindria | entretindríem | entretindríeu | entretindrien |
| subjunctive | | jo | tu | ell/ella vostè | nosaltres nós | vosaltres vós | ells/elles vostès |
| subjunctive | present | entretingui | entretinguis | entretingui | entretinguem | entretingueu | entretinguin |
| subjunctive | imperfect | entretingués | entretinguessis | entretingués | entretinguéssim | entretinguéssiu | entretinguessin |
| imperative | | — | tu | vostè | nosaltres | vosaltres vós | vostès |
| imperative | affirmative | — | entretén, entretingues | entretingui | entretinguem | entreteniu, entretingueu | entretinguin |
| imperative | negative (no) | — | no entretinguis | no entretingui | no entretinguem | no entretingueu | no entretinguin |

#### Derived terms

* entreteniment
* entretenir-se

### Further reading

* “entretenir” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
* “entretenir”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
* “entretenir” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
* “entretenir” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

## French
### Etymology

Inherited from Middle French entretenir, from Old French entretenir; equivalent to entre + tenir.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ɑ̃.tʁə.t(ə).niʁ/
* Audio:(file)

### Verb

entretenir
* (transitive) to maintain, to look after
    Le Canada entretient une relation de premier plan avec les États-Unis, pays avec lequel il partage la plus longue frontière non défendue du monde.Canada maintains a high-profile relationship with the United States, a country with which it shares the longest undefended border in the world.
* (transitive) to support (e.g a family)
* (transitive, figuratively) to fuel, to keep something going
* (reflexive) to have a discussion (with someone)
* (reflexive) to keep fit

#### Conjugation

This is a verb in a group of -ir verbs. All verbs ending in -tenir, such as contenir and détenir, are conjugated this way. Such verbs are the only verbs whose the past historic and subjunctive imperfect endings do not start in one of these thematic vowels (-a-, -i-, -u-).

#### Related terms

* entretien

### Further reading

* “entretenir”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

### Anagrams

* inertèrent

## Middle French
### Etymology

From Old French entretenir.

### Verb

entretenir
* (transitive) to maintain; to look after

#### Descendants

* English: entertain
* French: entretenir

## Old French
### Etymology

entre + tenir.

### Verb

entretenir
* (reflexive, s'entretenir) to support one another

#### Conjugation

This verb conjugates as a third-group verb. This verb has a stressed present stem entretien distinct from the unstressed stem entreten, as well as other irregularities. Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide.

#### Descendants

* Middle French: entretenir
** → English: entertain
** French: entretenir