'soil-sustaining' originates from the combination of 'soil' and 'sustain,' where 'soil' refers to the earth's surface layer and 'sustain' means to support or maintain.

'Sustain' changed from the Old French word 'sustenir' and eventually became the modern English word 'sustain.'

Initially, 'sustain' meant 'to hold up or support,' and over time it evolved to include the idea of maintaining or preserving.