Montant

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An upward or rising amount, often in reference to a budget or financial context
2. Relating to an increase or addition, especially in terms of quantity or extent
3. Describing an ascent or growth, typically concerning financial figures or values

Etymology: The English word "montant" is a doublet of "mountant," meaning the two forms came into English by separate routes from the same source. The noun traces back to Italian "montante," the present participle of "montare," "to mount" or "climb," so its core sense is something that goes upward. Over time that literal sense of climbing gave way to the financial meaning of a rising total, the amount that keeps growing as sums are added up. The path into English ran through Old French "montant," which carried the same participial sense of rising or ascending. Middle English took the form "mountant" from it, and the spelling "montant" was later borrowed directly from Italian, producing two surviving English forms from one root. Such pairs are common when a word enters a language twice by different paths, and each form then picks up its own shade of meaning.