Etymology: < (i) Anglo-Norman and Old French, Middle French -ant, present participle ending (French -ant), and its etymon (ii) classical Latin -ant-, -āns, present participle ending of a-stem verbs.In Old French, the participial forms descending from classical Latin -ant- , -āns as well as the more common -ent- , -ēns : (see -ent suffix) were generally levelled under -ant , which became the sole ending of the present participle; compare (with different stem classes in Latin) e.g. Old French pliant ( < classical Latin plicant- , plicāns : see pliant adj.), Old French serjeant ( < classical Latin servient- , serviēns sergeant n.), Old French tenant ( < classical Latin tenent- , tenēns : see tenant n.). Borrowings from Latin into French in the Middle Ages or later retain the form of the Latin ending, e.g. Middle French elegant ( < classical Latin ēlegant- , ēlegāns : see elegant adj.), as opposed to Middle French prudent ( < post-classical Latin prudent- , prudēns : see prudent adj. and compare -ent suffix). Borrowings into English from French are attested from the beginning of the 13th cent. (e.g. sergeant n., semblant n.); forms like -aunt and -aunte suggest that these were originally stressed on the final syllable. In some cases, it is unclear whether the borrowing was originally from French or Latin, and it is likely that both languages had some input (compare e.g. abundant adj., pregnant adj.¹). Borrowings which are clearly from Latin can be found from the early 15th cent. (e.g. deviant adj., aggregant adj.). From this time onwards, -ent was also sometimes reinstated in borrowings from French, where the ultimately underlying classical Latin form had ended in -ent- , -ēns (in e.g. apparent adj., pendent adj.: see -ent suffix). Formations within English are attested from the 15th cent. (e.g. obeyant adj., availant adj.). These are usually formed with first elements of ultimately Romance or (later) Latin origin; for an exception see the isolated early example understandant n.

Etymology: Variant or alteration of -and suffix¹, perhaps reinforced by association with -ant suffix¹ or its etymon French -ant, present participle ending.Occasional examples apparently include errant at errand n. Forms, wesaunt at weasand n. β. forms, waniant at waniand n. Forms. (For similar occurrence of -ant in a word showing -and suffix² see magistrant at magistrand n. Forms.) Compare also the more common substitution of -and suffix¹ for -ant suffix¹ (especially in northern and Scots use), in e.g. regardand at regardant adj. and n. Forms, the β. forms at rampant adj. and n., and the β. forms at recreant adj. and n.

Etymology: Variant or alteration of final -an in words of various origins, in some cases by association with -ant suffix¹ or its etymon French -ant or with specific words with this ending, in other cases as an independent phonological development (excrescent t after the dental nasal).