contain
/kənˈteɪn/·컨테인·verb
to hold within
LatinCEFR A2
Root
con- (together) + Latin 'tenere' (to hold)
Latin continere (hold together) → Old French contenir → English contain
In a word
con- (together) + tain (hold) = 'hold things together in one place'. The ten family splits by how you hold — con- (together) → contain, main- (hand) → maintain, sus- (under) → sustain, re- (back) → retain. Bottle holds liquid, book holds stories, heart holds feelings — same act.
Examples
This bottle contains one litre.
The book contains many stories.
She could hardly contain her excitement.
Related
maintainsustainretaindetaincontent