English
maintenance
Maintenance comes from Old French maintenance, from maintenir ‘to maintain’, perhaps from Late Latin manūteneō ‘to support’ (literally ‘hold in the hand’).
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEmanūteneō‘to support’uncertain
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400maintenir‘to maintain’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400maintenance
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mayntenaunce
- Englishearliest quotation 1815maintenance
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEmanūteneō‘to support’uncertain
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400maintenir‘to maintain’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400maintenance
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mayntenaunce
- Englishearliest quotation 1815maintenance
Earliest quotation: 1815, 1802, William Wordsworth: “From Pond to Pond he roamed, from moor to…”
Equivalent to maintain + -ance
The story
Note that maintain has undergone a sound and spelling change, hence is spelt with -tain-, rather than the -ten- still found in maintenance.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ten- ‘to stretch, extend’
continue, tight, content, tone, ton, tune, obtain, contain, tennis, entertainment, continuous, retain, tender, continent, sustain, detention, retention, tonic, pristine, rein, continuum, tenor, tendon, tenant, pertinent, detain, abstain, tenacity, abstinence, tenet, tenacious, pertain, tetanus, retinue, tenement, tantra, incontinence, sustenance, abstention, countenance, 72 more
Today it means
noun Actions performed to keep some machine or system functioning or in service.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Late Latin manūteneō / maintenance