From Latin 'abstinentia' (self-restraint), via Old French, combining 'abs-' (away from) and 'tenēre' (to hold) — literally 'holding oneself away from' something.
The practice of voluntarily refraining from indulging in something, especially food, drink, or sexual activity
From Old French 'abstinence,' borrowed from Latin 'abstinentia,' a noun formed from the present participle 'abstinēns' of the verb 'abstinēre,' meaning 'to hold back from, to refrain.' The verb combines 'abs-' (a variant of 'ab-,' meaning away from) and 'tenēre' (to hold). In classical Latin, 'abstinentia' was used by Cicero and Seneca to describe self-restraint as a virtue, particularly restraint from greed and excess. The word entered Middle English around 1340, initially in religious
The Latin root 'tenēre' (to hold) is one of the most prolific in English. It produced 'contain,' 'retain,' 'sustain,' 'maintain,' 'obtain,' 'detain,' 'entertain,' 'pertain,' and 'tenant' — all words about holding something, somewhere, somehow. Abstinence is the one about holding yourself back.