Etymology Dictionary

HABIT,  practice, custom, dress.  (F.,—L.)   M. E. habit, abit; the latter spelling being common.   Spelt habit, P. Plowman, B. prol. 3; abit, id. C. prol. 3; Ancren Riwle, p. 12, l. 8.—O. F. habit, 'a garment, raiment,... also, an habit, a fashion settled, a use or custom gotten;' Cot.—Lat. habitum, acc. of habitus, condition, habit, dress, attire.—Lat. habitus, held in a certain condition, pp. of habere, to have, hold, keep.   β. The origin of Lat. habere remains quite uncertain; it is not the same word with E. have, which = Lat. capere; see Have.   Der. habit, verb, pp. habited, i.e. dressed, Wint. Tale, iv. 4. 557; habit-u-al, from O. F. habitual (mod. F. habituel), explained 'habituall' by Cotgrave, and from Low Lat. habitu-alis, formed with suffix -alis from habitu-, crude form of habitus, habit; habit-u-al-ly; habitu-ate, from Lat. habituatus, pp. of habituare, to bring into a certain habit or condition.   Also, from the same source, habit-ude, q.v., habit-able, q.v., habit-at, q.v., habit-at-ion, q.v., hab-ili-ment, q.v.   From the Lat. habere are also numerous derivatives, as ex-hibit, in-hibit, in-habit, pro-hibit; ab-le, ab-ili-ty, dis-hab-ille; debt; prebend; binnacle, malady.