Английский Этимологический словарь - habitat

- 1762, as a techincal term in Latin texts on Eng. flora and fauna, lit. "it inhabits," third pers. sing. pres. indic. of habitare "to live, dwell," freq. of habere "to have, to hold, possess." General sense of "dwelling place" is first attested 1854. Habitable is much older, from O.Fr. habitable, from L. habitabilis "that is fit to live in," from habitare. Also found in M.E. is habitation, from O.Fr. habitation "act of dwelling," from L. habitationem (nom. habitatio) "act of dwelling," from habitare. Habitant "Canadian of Fr. descent," is from Fr. word meaning "inhabitant," and was the usual word for planters in 18c. Quebec.