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"to maintain, keep" in seven languages

Meaningto maintain, keep

Spanish

mantener

/manteˈneɾ/

inherited

Also 'to support' someone financially.

French

maintenir

/mɛ̃tniʁ/

inherited

For the upkeep of a house or car, French says entretenir.

Italian

mantenere

/manteˈnere/

inherited

Also 'to support' someone and 'to keep' a promise.

Portuguese

manter

/mɐ̃ˈteh/

inherited

Romanian

menține

/menˈtsine/

borrowed · French maintenir, adapted to Romanian ține 'to hold'

Catalan

mantenir

/məntəˈni/

inherited

English

maintain

/meɪnˈteɪn/

from Latin/French · Old French maintenir

English → Italianto maintain, keepmantenereCognateSame source — inherited, learned or borrowed. You can recognize it.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

MANŪ TENĒRE‘to hold in the hand’

All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.

The story

Literally 'to hold by the hand'. French maintenant 'now' is this verb's present participle: what you hold in your hand is happening right now.

English relatives: maintenance, manual, tenant, contain

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In a sentence

  • esDebemos mantener la paz.
  • frNous devons maintenir la paix.
  • itDobbiamo mantenere la pace.
  • ptDevemos manter a paz.
  • roTrebuie să menținem pacea.
  • caHem de mantenir la pau.
  • enWe must maintain the peace.

The Latin family

MANU-· hand

MANUS was a feminine noun with an odd ending, and the sisters kept the gender against the look of the word: la mano in Spanish and Italian, la main in French. The hand also reached into 'holding' (maintain), 'sleeves' (manga) and 'way of doing' (manner). Portuguese a mão, Romanian mâna and Catalan la mà are feminine too.

  • MANUMhand

    esmanofrmainitmanoptmãoromânăcamà

  • MANUĀLEMof the hand

    esmanualfrmanuelitmanualeptmanualromanualcamanualenmanual

  • MANICAMsleeve

    esmangafrmancheitmanicaptmangaromânecăcamàniga

  • MANŪ TENĒREto hold in the hand

    esmantenerfrmainteniritmantenereptmanterromenținecamantenirenmaintain

  • *MANUĀRIAhandy; way of handling

    esmanerafrmanièreitmanieraptmaneiraromanierăcamaneraenmanner

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