soutenir

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French soubtenir, from Old French sustenir, soustenir, from Vulgar Latin *sustenīre, from Latin sustinēre. Asynchronically analyzable as sou- +‎ tenir.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /sut.niʁ/, /su.tə.niʁ/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Audio (France (Somain)):(file)

Verb

soutenir

  1. (transitive) to support
  2. (transitive) to keep up
  3. to maintain (that)
  4. to argue

Conjugation

This is a verb in a group of -ir verbs. All verbs ending in -tenir, such as contenir and détenir, are conjugated this way. Such verbs are the only verbs whose past historic and subjunctive imperfect endings do not start with one of these thematic vowels: -a-, -i-, -u-.

Derived terms

Further reading

Anagrams

Norman

Etymology

From Old French sustenir, from Latin sustineo.

Verb

soutenir

  1. to support

Conjugation