subsistence

The story

1. Latin · derived fromsubsistēns
2. Late Latin · derived fromsubsistentia“substance, reality, in Medieval Latin also stability”
3. Middle French · derived fromsubsistence
4. Middle English · inherited fromsubsistence
5. English todaysubsistence

From Middle English subsistence; partly from Middle French subsistence (modern French subsistance) and partly from its etymon Late Latin subsistentia (“substance, reality, in Medieval Latin also stability”), from Latin subsistēns, present participle of subsistere (“to continue, subsist”). Perhaps also partly from subsist + -ence.