Baretti: A dictionary of the English and Italian languages
Sostentá-re, v. a.
1. to nourish, feed, maintain, keep and find with all necessaries (as meat, drink, and clothes). — una famiglia, to keep or maintain a family. — la sua vita col lavoro,to live by one's labour; 2. to support, prop, stay. — un solajo, to support or prop a ceiling or floor; 3. to maintain, preserve, defend.— il suo diritto, to maintain one's right; v. r.to defend one's self; s. m. Sostentá-tóre, f. Sostentá-tríce.
Florio: a worlde of wordes, or most copious, dictionarie in Italian and English
