Hanging from or attached to something; in a dependent or subordinate state.
From Latin appendens, the present participle of appendere (to hang upon). The adjective form describes something that is currently in the state of being attached or hanging, compared to nouns that name this condition.
This word is the bridge between Latin grammar and English—a participle that became an adjective. When Romans needed an adjective for 'hanging on,' they used the verb form itself, and English inherited this elegant shortcut!
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