Etymology
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sustenance (n.)

c. 1300, sustenaunce, "means of living, subsistence, livelihood," especially "food, victuals, that which supports life," from Anglo-French sustenance, sustenaunce, Old French sostenance "support, aid" (Modern French soutenance), from Late Latin sustinentia "endurance," abstract noun from present-participle stem of Latin sustinere "to hold up" (see sustain). Meaning "action of sustaining life by food" is from late 14c.

Related: Sustenant; English 15c.-17c. had sustentacle "that which upholds or supports." Noun of action sustention "act of sustaining" is by 1868. Sustainment "maintenance, support; one who sustains" (mid-15c.) is from Old French soustenement.

Entries linking to sustenance

sustain (v.)

late 13c., sustenen, transitive, "provide the necessities of life to;" by early 14c. as "give support to; support physically, hold up or upright; give assistance to; keep (a quarrel, etc.) going," from the stem of Old French sostenir, sustenir "hold up, bear; suffer, endure" (13c.), from Latin sustinere "hold up, hold upright; furnish with means of support; bear, undergo, endure." This is from an assimilated form of sub "up from below" (see sub-) + tenere "to hold" (from PIE root *ten- "to stretch").

The meaning "continue, keep up" (an action, etc.) is from early 14c. The sense of "endure (pain hardship, a shock) without failing or yielding" is from c. 1400. The legal sense of "admit as correct and valid" is from early 15c. Past-participle adjective sustained is by 1775 as "kept up or maintained uniformly," originally of music notes; the piano's sustaining pedal is so called by 1889.

updated on September 07, 2022

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Dictionary entries near sustenance

suss

Sussex

sustain

sustainability

sustainable

sustenance

sustentation

susurrant

susurration

susurrus

sutile

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