Pliant comes from Old French pliant ('bending'), present participle of plier ('to bend, fold'), from Latin plicare ('to fold'). The form is best read as a historical transfer or inheritance, with its older language material carrying the main semantic load. As an adjective, it carries the sense "bending readily; supple or easily influenced", with the older formation still helping explain the modern use. Relevant historical forms include Old French pliant, Latin plicare, and Proto-Indo-European *plek-. Derivative forms include pliantly, pliancy, pliantness; related words include pliable, ply, apply, pliers.