subtenere

Subtenere is a Latin verb of the second conjugation, meaning to hold up, support, or sustain. The word combines sub- “under, up from below” with tenere “to hold,” yielding a sense of supporting from beneath or underpinning. In classical usage, subtenere covers both physical support (to bear a weight, to prop up) and figurative support (to uphold a tradition, a claim, or a position). It can also convey the idea of maintaining or keeping something in a state, foundation, or balance.

Grammatical notes: as a regular second-conjugation verb, subtenere follows the standard tense and mood patterns of -eo verbs. Present, imperfect, perfect, and pluperfect forms appear with the usual endings, and participles are used to form compound tenses and passive constructions. The verb takes direct objects when specifying what is being held up or sustained and can be combined with prepositional phrases to indicate the basis or ground of support.

Usage: subtenere is common in literary, rhetorical, and philosophical contexts, where an argument, theory, or institution is said to be subtened by reasons or evidence. It also appears in descriptions of physical architecture, machinery, or structures where support is provided from below. In translation, it is often rendered as “to sustain,” “to support,” or “to uphold.”

See also: tenere, sustineo, sub- prefixes; Latin verbs of the teneō family.

References: standard Latin dictionaries and grammars provide the verb’s principal parts, forms, and usage examples.