Where does “sustainability” come from?
Sustainability derives from Middle English sustinen, from Old French sustenir, from Latin sustineo, formed from sub and teneo meaning to hold or support.
sustainability (English): The ability to sustain something; A means of...
Definitions
- The ability to sustain something; A means of...
Ancestry of “sustainability”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | -ability | ability, inclination or suitability for a... |
| 2 | Middle English | -ablete | — |
| 3 | Middle French | -ableté | — |
| 4 | Latin | -abilitas | — |
| 5 | Latin | -ibilis | -able; able or worthy to be |
| 6 | Latin | -bilis | -ble |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | -ðlis | Forms adjectives from verb stems indicating capacity or worth of being acted on |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -dʰlis | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -dʰlom | Alternative form of *-trom; instrumental suffix;... |