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"maintenance (upkeep)" in seven languages

Meaningmaintenance (upkeep)

Spanish

mantenimiento

/manteniˈmjento/

masc.other source · mantener (spoken Latin *MANŪTENĒRE 'to hold in the hand') + -miento

French

entretien

/ɑ̃tʁətjɛ̃/

masc.other source · entretenir 'to keep up' (entre + tenir ← TENĒRE)

Also 'interview'; maintenance exists in technical French.

Italian

manutenzione

/manutenˈtsjone/

fem.other source · Medieval Latin MANŪTENTIŌNEM

Portuguese

manutenção

/manutẽˈsɐ̃w/

fem.other source · Medieval Latin MANŪTENTIŌNEM

Romanian

întreținere

/ɨntretsiˈnere/

fem.other source · întreține 'to keep up' (între + ține ← TENĒRE), modelled on French entretenir

Catalan

manteniment

/məntəniˈmen/

masc.other source · mantenir (spoken Latin *MANŪTENĒRE) + -ment

English

maintenance

/ˈmeɪntənəns/

other source · Old French maintenance, from maintenir

English → Italianmaintenance (upkeep)manutenzioneNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: maintain, tenant, tenacious.What English and Italian share

The story

Spanish and Italian (and English) 'hold in the hand' (MANŪ + TENĒRE); French 'holds between' with entretien. All four lean on TENĒRE 'to hold', just with different builds.

English relatives: maintain, tenant, tenacious

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In a sentence

  • esEl ascensor está cerrado por mantenimiento.
  • frL'ascenseur est fermé pour entretien.
  • itL'ascensore è chiuso per manutenzione.
  • ptO elevador está fechado para manutenção.
  • roLiftul este închis pentru lucrări de întreținere.
  • caL'ascensor està tancat per manteniment.
  • enThe lift is closed for maintenance.

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