the word 'survival' is a nominal derivative of the verb 'survive'. its core, 'survive', entered english from old french 'survivre', which originated from the latin verb 'supervivere', a compound of 'super-' (meaning 'over, above, beyond') and 'vivere' (meaning 'to live'). the literal sense was thus 'to live beyond' or 'to outlive'. the suffix '-al', of latin origin, was attached to the verb stem to create an abstract noun, a common pattern in english (e.g., arrival, refusal). therefore, 'survival' logically denotes the state, fact, or result of having lived beyond a threatening event or period, or of continuing to exist from a past era.

Structure: surviv(e) (to live) + al (noun suffix) - surviv(e): from the english verb 'survive', itself from old french 'survivre', from latin 'supervivere' (super- 'over, beyond' + vivere 'to live'). functional role: the core lexical root. - al: from latin '-alis', a suffix forming adjectives, often nominalized in english to form nouns denoting an action or its result. functional role: derivational suffix forming an abstract noun.