survivance

English

Etymology

French survivance.

Noun

survivance (countable and uncountable, plural survivances)

1. (now rare) Survival.
   • 1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter CDIX”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: […] S[amuel] Richardson;  […], →OCLC:

     And what is the space of time to look backward upon, between an early departure and the longest survivance?

2. Succession to an estate, office etc. of someone who survives the previous holder, as nominated by them; survivorship.
   • a. 1716 (date written), [Gilbert] Burnet, edited by [Gilbert Burnet Jr.], Bishop Burnet’s History of His Own Time. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: […] Thomas Ward […], published 1724, →OCLC:

     His son had the survivance of the stadtholdership.

3. (Canada) The survival of Francophone culture in the face of Anglo-American hegemony.

Derived terms

• survivancy

French

Etymology

From survivre +‎ -ance.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑ̃s

Noun

survivance f (plural survivances)

1. relic

Further reading

• “survivance”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.