different between maintenance vs housekeeping

English

Etymology

From Middle English mayntenaunce, from Old French maintenance, from maintenir, from Latin manus ten?re (“to hold in the hand”). Surface analysis is maintain +? -ance.

Note that maintain has undergone a sound and spelling change, hence is spelt with -tain-, rather than the -ten- still found in maintenance.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?me?nt(?)n?ns/, /?me?nt?n?ns/

Noun

maintenance (usually uncountable, plural maintenances)

1. Actions performed to keep some machine or system functioning or in service.
2. (law) A tort committed when a third party who does not have a bona fide interest in a lawsuit provides help or acquires an interest to a litigant's lawsuit.
3. (law, Britain) Alimony, a periodical payment or a lump sum made or ordered to be made to a spouse after a divorce.
4. (law) Child support.
5. Money required or spent to provide for the needs of a person or a family.
6. (biology) The natural process which keeps an organism alive.

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

• maintenance in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• maintenance in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• maintenance at OneLook Dictionary Search

French

Etymology

maintenir (“to maintain”) +? -ance.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /m??t.n??s/
• Rhymes: -??s

Noun

maintenance f (plural maintenances)

1. maintenance

Further reading

• “maintenance” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

English

Etymology

house +? keeping

Noun

housekeeping (countable and uncountable, plural housekeepings)

1. The chores of maintaining a house as a residence, especially cleaning.
2. Any general tasks that involve preparation.

   The computer program does some general housekeeping involving initializing variables and opening files before beginning the main processing.

3. Hospitality; a liberal and hospitable table; a supply of provisions.

Translations

Anagrams

• keeping house