self-maintaining
|self-main-tain-ing|
/ˌsɛlf.meɪnˈteɪnɪŋ/
keeps itself going
Etymology
'self-maintaining' originates from English, formed from the prefix 'self' (Old English 'self') plus the present participle 'maintaining' of the verb 'maintain', where 'maintain' comes from Old French 'maintenir' and ultimately Latin 'manu tenēre' (or 'manu-tenēre'), in which 'manu-' meant 'hand' and 'tenēre' meant 'to hold'.
'maintain' changed from Latin 'manu tenēre' into Old French 'maintenir', then into Middle English forms (e.g. 'maintenen'/'maintainen') and finally modern English 'maintain'; 'self' is from Old English 'self'; the compound 'self-maintaining' developed in modern English by combining 'self' with the participial form of 'maintain'.
Initially, the Latin root 'manu tenēre' conveyed 'to hold in the hand'; over time 'maintain' shifted to the wider sense 'to keep or preserve something', and 'self-maintaining' came to mean 'able to keep itself in a condition or state without outside help'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
capable of maintaining itself without external assistance; able to sustain its condition, function, or organization automatically or by internal processes.
The wetland has become largely self-maintaining, requiring little human management to preserve its biodiversity.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/01 10:44