pend

Pend is a verb form in English with two broad senses. It can mean to hang or suspend something from a support, and it can mean to be pending or undecided. In modern usage, the independent verb pend is uncommon and mostly found in archaic, legal, or linguistic contexts. The sense of being pending is now more commonly expressed with the adjective or participle pending (for example, a decision is pending).

Etymology and related forms. Pend derives from the Latin pendere, meaning to hang, via Old French pendre. The root appears in a wide family of English words that retain the idea of hanging or being suspended. Related terms include pendant (an object that hangs), pendulum (a hanging weight that swings), and dependence or depending forms such as depend, suspend, and append. The noun pendency (or dependency) and the related adjective pendulous also reflect the same root.

Usage notes. In contemporary English, pend as a standalone verb is mostly limited to historical texts or linguistic discussion about the word’s origin. The preferred modern form to indicate something not yet decided is pending. As a noun or adjective, the root appears in numerous derivatives that describe hanging, suspension, or a state of awaiting disposition. Readers and writers typically encounter pend-related terms in compound words or in etymological explanations rather than as active vocabulary in everyday discourse.