Maintenour

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The outward manner or deportment by which someone carries themselves and presents themselves to others
2. A person's bearing, appearance, or the way they conduct themselves in public or social situations
3. The external display of one's character through manner, dress, and comportment as observed by others

Etymology: Its core is a physical gesture. "Maintain" comes through Old French "maintenir" from Latin "manutenere," built from "manus" (hand) and "tenere" (to hold). To maintain something was literally to hold it by hand. The noun "maintenour" is the agent form: one who upholds or supports. In medieval English law, the sense became specific and troubling. A maintainer was someone who funded or backed another person's lawsuit, often for a share of the winnings or for political advantage. This practice, called maintenance, was treated as an offence because it encouraged litigation and corruption. The term therefore carried a legal stigma rather than a neutral sense of support.

Synonyms: maintainer