Maintiens

Maintiens is not a separate lexical item in French, but a form associated with the verb maintenir. It corresponds to the second person singular present indicative form, written as two words: tu maintiens. The string ma ntiens may appear in text as a concatenated form only in informal contexts or as a clipping, but standard spelling is tu maintiens.

Maintenir means to maintain, to keep up, to preserve, or to uphold. It is used in a wide range of contexts, from physical stability to abstract persistence. Examples in normal usage include: Tu maintiens le cap malgré les difficultés (you keep to the course despite the difficulties) and Il maintient sa position sur le marché (he maintains his position in the market). The verb conveys continuity, support, and endurance.

Morphology and related forms: maintenir derives from the Latin manutenere and is part of a verb family that includes tenir (to hold) and obtenir. Common forms include je maintiens, nous maintenons, vous maintenez, ils maintiennent, with past participle maintenu. The present subjunctive forms include que je maintienne, que tu maintiennes, et cetera. The pronunciation of tu maintiens places the ending in nasal sounds, as in [tø mɛ̃tjɛ̃].

Etymology and cognates: the verb is descended from Latin manutenere and is related to the English maintain and Spanish mantener. It occupies a broad functional space in French, covering physical, logistical, and symbolic senses of keeping something in a desired state.

In sum, maitniens serves as a form of maintenir indicating the second-person singular present, while the broader verb carries meanings centered on preserving, supporting, and continuing.