stamina

Where does the word "stamina" come from? It comes from Latin stamen, and was adopted directly into English (1690s).

Stamina’s story begins in Latin: stamen meant “a thread of life.” A thread of the warp on a loom, associated with the threads of life spun by the mythical Fates. It reached English by 1690s as stamina. Latin 'threads', the threads of life spun by the Fates. Today, stamina means the physical or mental strength to sustain prolonged effort.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient stamen "a thread of life", a thread of the warp on a loom, associated with the threads of life spun by the mythical Fates.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1690s stamina "physical or mental endurance", Latin 'threads', the threads of life spun by the Fates.