English word contain comes from Latin teneo, Latin con-
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| teneo | Latin (lat) | (of laws) I am binding on; bind, hold, obligate. (reflexive) I keep back, remain, stay, hold position. I comprise, contain, include, hold. I hold fast, restrain, detain, check, control; bind, fetter. I hold, have; grasp. I insist, uphold. I know, grasp, understand, conceive. I possess, occupy, control. I reach, attain; gain, acquire, obtain. I recollect, retain knowledge of, remember, bear [...] |
| con- | Latin (lat) | Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing together of several objects. Used in compounds to indicate the completeness, perfecting of any act, and thus gives intensity to the signification of the simple word. |
| contineo | Latin (lat) | (of places) I enclose, bound, limit; comprise.. I check, curb, stop, tame, subdue.. I comprise, involve, contain.. I detain, restrain, repress, enclose.. I hold or keep together/close, surround, contain; connect. |
| contenir | Old French (fro) | (reflexive, se contenir) to behave (in a given way). (reflexive, se contenir) to control oneself, to keep one's feelings and behavior in check. |
| contain | English (en) | (mathematics, of a set etc., transitive) To have as an element or subset.. (obsolete, intransitive) To restrain desire; to live in continence or chastity.. (transitive) To hold inside.. (transitive) To include as a part.. (transitive) To put constraint upon; to restrain; to confine; to keep within bounds. |