Old French
sustenir
‘to hold up’
Every word has its own definition in its root. These English words share one: Old French sustenir.
3 English words in this record descend from Old French sustenir, most familiar first.
- sustain ← susteinen
- sustenance ← sustenaunce
- souteneur ← soutenir ← soustenir
From Wiktionary, by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); adapted. License.
Etymograph / Old French sustenir