Hynderaunce

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An obstacle or impediment that holds back progress, action, or the completion of something
2. Something that gets in the way and delays or obstructs a person or a purpose
3. A barrier or check that slows down, blocks, or interferes with an intended course of events

Etymology: The idea of being held back is older than the word for it. Hynderaunce is a Middle English noun built on "hinderen," which descends from Old English "hindrian," meaning to keep back or check. That verb goes back to "hinder," an adverb meaning "behind" or "at the back," which is also the root of "hind" and "behind." To hinder something was, at root, to keep it at the rear. The ending is the French contribution. Middle English borrowed many nouns from Anglo-French ending in "-aunce" and "-ance," which turn a verb into a noun for an action or state. Hynderaunce thus combines an English verb with a French-style suffix, and its spelling shows the two languages meeting. The later form "hindrance" won out in standard English, so hynderaunce now survives mainly as a historical spelling.

Synonyms: hindrance, obstruction, impediment

Antonyms: help, aid, assistance