Blast From the Past: tenet/tenant
Welcome to this week's installment of Blast From the Past! When last we delved into the "tenet vs. tenant" debate, it was November 2013 with green_grrl. So let's give this oldie but goodie another glance, with the help of our friends over at Once Upon a Time.
On the surface, both words sound and even look alike. That both come from the same Latin word, tenēre, meaning "to hold" doesn't help in determining proper usage of either. So what are the differences between these two words?
According to Merriam-Webster, a tenet is "a principle, belief, or doctrine generally held to be true; especially : one held in common by members of an organization, movement, or profession ". Most of the time that I've seen this word in use, it's with regard to religious beliefs, but can also work for other organizations.
"All right, dearie, I'll only say this one more time," Rumplestiltskin replied with a faint frown. "There are three basic tenets to magic: you can't make anyone love you; you can't raise the dead; and you can't change the past. Got it?"
Tenant, on the other hand, refers to a person who either "holds or possesses real estate or sometimes personal property (as a security) by any kind of right" or "has the occupation or temporary possession of lands or tenements of another". For the most part, modern era fiction works with the latter definition.
Mr. Gold gave a smug, almost oily smile as the Mother Superior handed him the roll of bills. "Thank you kindly, Mother Superior, for your continued business. The convent is one of my more punctual tenants in town."
In the end, perhaps the easiest way to remember the difference between tenet and tenant comes from Grammar Girl: a tenant is like an ant living in someone else's property.
References
On the surface, both words sound and even look alike. That both come from the same Latin word, tenēre, meaning "to hold" doesn't help in determining proper usage of either. So what are the differences between these two words?
According to Merriam-Webster, a tenet is "a principle, belief, or doctrine generally held to be true; especially : one held in common by members of an organization, movement, or profession ". Most of the time that I've seen this word in use, it's with regard to religious beliefs, but can also work for other organizations.
"All right, dearie, I'll only say this one more time," Rumplestiltskin replied with a faint frown. "There are three basic tenets to magic: you can't make anyone love you; you can't raise the dead; and you can't change the past. Got it?"
Tenant, on the other hand, refers to a person who either "holds or possesses real estate or sometimes personal property (as a security) by any kind of right" or "has the occupation or temporary possession of lands or tenements of another". For the most part, modern era fiction works with the latter definition.
Mr. Gold gave a smug, almost oily smile as the Mother Superior handed him the roll of bills. "Thank you kindly, Mother Superior, for your continued business. The convent is one of my more punctual tenants in town."
In the end, perhaps the easiest way to remember the difference between tenet and tenant comes from Grammar Girl: a tenant is like an ant living in someone else's property.
References
- Tenant vs. tenet @ grammarist.com
- tenant vs tenet : Common Errors in English @ Bee Dictionary
- "Tenet" Versus "Tenant" @ Grammar Girl
- tenet @ Merriam-Webster
- tenant @ Merriam-Webster