1
Stage 1 of 3
abstinere
Latin · ancient
"to hold away from"
to hold away from, from abs- (away) and tenere (to hold)
2
Stage 2 of 3
abstinen
Old French · medieval
"to hold oneself back"
carried into French for holding oneself back from something
3
Stage 3 of 3
abstain
English · 1300s
"to deliberately not do or have something"
settled as the English word for deliberately not doing something
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