'self-maintenance' originates from the combination of 'self,' meaning 'one's own person,' and 'maintenance,' derived from Old French 'maintenir,' meaning 'to hold in hand' or 'to keep in a certain state.'

'maintenance' evolved from the Old French word 'maintenir,' which was adopted into Middle English as 'maintain,' eventually forming the modern English word 'maintenance.'

Initially, 'maintenance' referred to the act of keeping something in a certain state, and this meaning has been extended to include the concept of maintaining oneself.