relied on someone or something to help, support, or provide what you need.
From Old French 'dependre', meaning 'to hang down', combining Latin 'de-' (down) and 'pendere' (to hang). Over time it evolved from the literal sense of hanging to the figurative sense of relying on someone.
The word 'depend' literally meant 'to hang down'—and when you depend on someone, you're kind of hanging on them for support! It's a beautiful metaphor that languages across Europe borrowed because the image was so powerful.
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