inhabitant

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*ghabh-“to seize, take, hold, have”
2. Latin · derived frominhabitāns
3. Old French · derived frominhabitant
4. Middle English · inherited frominhabitantes
5. English todayinhabitant

From Middle English inhabitantes (n. plural) and inhabitaunt (adj.), from Old French inhabitant, from Latin inhabitāns, present participle of inhabitō (“to inhabit”), from in- (“in”) + habitō (“to dwell”) (frequentative of habeō (“to hold”), from Proto-Indo-European *ghabh- (“to seize, take, hold, have”). By surface analysis, inhabit + -ant.