sustain
sustain
UK[səˈsteɪn]US[səˈsteɪn]
v
To provide what is needed for someone or something to exist, continue, or operate
v
To keep something going over time or continuously
v
To suffer or experience something bad, especially damage or injury
v
To support the weight of something physically
Morpheme Breakdown
sus
tain
sus
from below
tain
hold
Etymology
The word "sustain" entered English in the 13th century from Anglo-French sustenir and Old French sostenir, which were themselves derived from Latin sustinēre. This Latin verb is a compound of the prefix sub- (here meaning "from below, up") and the verb tenēre ("to hold"). The literal, physical meaning was "to hold up from below," as in supporting a structure. Over centuries, this concrete sense broadened metaphorically. The idea of providing physical support evolved into providing nourishment or necessities (sustenance), then into maintaining an action or state over time, and finally into the legal and general sense of enduring or undergoing an experience. The core logic of "holding up" remains visible in all its modern definitions, from supporting an argument to enduring hardship.
Analysis
Structure: sus (from below) + tain (hold)
sus: A prefix from Latin sub- meaning "from below, up, secretly, or in support of." In this word, it carries the sense of "up from below" or "in support."
tain: A root from Latin tenēre, meaning "to hold." It appears in its present stem form -tinēre.
Examples
The soil is rich enough to sustain a variety of crops.
He found it difficult to sustain the audience's interest during the long lecture.
The company sustained heavy losses during the economic crisis.