survival
Meaning
the state of continuing to live or exist, often despite difficulty or danger.
something that has continued to exist from an earlier time, especially when similar things have disappeared.
Structure
Usage
the survival of the polar bear is threatened by climate change.
basic survival skills include finding food and clean water.
this ancient ritual is a survival from pagan times.
Etymology
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.
Analysis
- 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.