Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “survival” come from?

Survival comes from English survive, derived from Latin supervivo, combining Latin super with a root from Proto-Indo-European gʷeih₃w- meaning to live.

survival (English): The fact or act of surviving; continued existence...

Definitions

  1. The fact or act of surviving; continued existence...

Ancestry of “survival”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsurviveOf a person, to continue to live; to remain...
2Latinsupervīvō—
3Latinsuper-super-; over, above
4Latinsuper"accusative" above, on the top of, upon;...
5Latineks-uper—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanupérialternative reconstruction of *upér
7Proto-Indo-Europeanupérabove; over
8Proto-Indo-Europeanupóunder, below
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ewp-—

Words derived from “survival”

  • survivalist
  • survivalism
  • prosurvival
  • nonsurvival
  • cryosurvival
  • survivalistic
  • antisurvival
  • survival horror
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp- →