entry
continent
/ˈkɑntənənt/Large continuous landmass; self-restrained or sexually abstinent
From Latin con- (together) + Latin ten- (to hold).
from Old French continent and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Old French continent and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Old French continent and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Middle English contynent
from Old French continent and directly
+1 more sourceWord Ancestry
from Old French continent and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Old French continent and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Old French continent and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Middle English contynent
from Old French continent and directly
+1 more sourcePicture a Roman trying to keep a lid firmly on a jar: that is the basic drama inside continent. Latin con- meant “together,” while tenēre meant “to hold,” producing continēre, “to hold together” or “to contain.” By the late fourteenth century, English continent usually described a person who held back—especially from sexual activity—so the modern geographical sense arrived by a surprisingly indirect route. A continent was understood as a continuous stretch of land, something that held together rather than breaking into islands; the noun was later borrowed from the adjective and participle. The same “holding” family gives us retain, detain, sustain, and tenacious, while incontinent adds in- to mean “not holding back”—first morally, and eventually medically. So when you picture a continent, imagine not merely land on a map, but an enormous piece of earth stubbornly holding itself together.
The Story
Picture a Roman trying to keep a lid firmly on a jar: that is the basic drama inside continent. Latin con- meant “together,” while tenēre meant “to hold,” producing continēre, “to hold together” or “to contain.” By the late fourteenth century, English continent usually described a person who held back—especially from sexual activity—so the modern geographical sense arrived by a surprisingly indirect route. A continent was understood as a continuous stretch of land, something that held together rather than breaking into islands; the noun was later borrowed from the adjective and participle. The same “holding” family gives us retain, detain, sustain, and tenacious, while incontinent adds in- to mean “not holding back”—first morally, and eventually medically. So when you picture a continent, imagine not merely land on a map, but an enormous piece of earth stubbornly holding itself together.
Kin & Kindred
From 'con-'·together, with, completely
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'ten-'·to hold, keep, maintain
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Etymonline
Free Dictionary
Urban Dictionary
Wikipedia