Subsist
/səbˈsɪst/noun
To continue to exist or remain alive, especially with difficulty.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin subsistere, which could mean to stop, hold out, or stand firm, giving it an ancient sense of endurance rather than mere survival.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*stā-
“to stand”
Latin
Latin
sistere
“to cause to stand, set, place”
Latin
Latin
subsistere
“to stand still, hold out, endure; later to exist”
Middle English
Latin/French
subsisten
“to continue to exist, be maintained”
Modern English
English
subsist
“to continue to exist; to survive on limited means”