Where does “continence” come from?

Continence comes from Old French continence, from Latin continentia, a noun formed with the suffix -ia from Latin continens, meaning "restraining oneself," derived from con- and tenēre "to hold."

continence (English): The voluntary control of urination and...

Definitions

  1. The voluntary control of urination and...

Ancestry of “continence”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchcontinence
2Latincontinentianominative neuter plural of continēns; accusative...
3Latincontinēnslimiting, enclosing
4LatincontineoI hold or keep together/close, surround, contain;...
5Latincōn-Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing together of several objects
6Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
7Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
8Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
9Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
10Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
11Middle Englishkyt
12Germankittputty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes
13Old High Germankuti
14Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
15Proto-Germanickweduzresin
16Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
17Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū-