Where does “sustenance” come from?
Sustenance comes from Old French sustenir, from Latin sustineo, a compound of sub and teneo meaning to hold under or support.
sustenance (English): Something that provides support or nourishment
Definitions
- Something that provides support or nourishment
Ancestry of “sustenance”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Vulgar Latin | sustenire | — |
| 2 | Latin | sustineo | I hold up or upright, uphold, keep up, bear up,... |
| 3 | Latin | sub- | sub- |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | upó | under, below |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃ewp- | — |
Words derived from “sustenance”