self-perpetuating
UK[ˌself pəˈpetʃueɪtɪŋ]US[ˌself pərˈpetʃueɪtɪŋ]
adj
Having the ability to continue or cause itself to continue indefinitely.
Morpheme Breakdown
self
per
petuating
self
one
per
through, thoroughly, completely.
petuating
Etymology
The word is a modern English compound formed from the reflexive pronoun 'self' and the present participle of the verb 'perpetuate'. 'Perpetuate' itself originates from Latin 'perpetuare', meaning "to make perpetual," built on 'perpetuus' ("continuous, unbroken"). 'Perpetuus' combines the intensive prefix 'per-' ("through") with a root related to 'petere' ("to seek, go towards"), suggesting a sense of ongoing, forward-moving continuity. Thus, 'self-perpetuating' logically describes a system or process that, once initiated, contains within itself the mechanism to continue its own motion or existence without external input, embodying the concept of self-sustained, thoroughgoing continuity.
Analysis
Structure: self + per + petuating
self: Old English, meaning "one's own person."
per: Latin prefix, meaning "through, thoroughly, completely."
petuating: Derived from the Latin verb 'petere' (to seek, aim at, go to) via its frequentative form 'petitare', leading to the English verb 'perpetuate' (to make perpetual).
Examples
The committee became a self-perpetuating oligarchy, with existing members selecting all new ones.
A vicious cycle of poverty and lack of education can be a self-perpetuating problem.
The reaction was self-perpetuating, generating enough heat to keep itself going.