means The state of lasting indefinitely or remaining unchanged over time.

from From Latin permanere, 'to remain through' or 'stay to the end' — built from per- ('through, thoroughly') plus manere ('to stay, remain'). That manere is the same root behind 'mansion' (a place you stay) and 'remain' itself. The word reached English in the late Middle Ages by way of Old French, carrying its quiet promise that some things simply hold their ground — while the atoms, of course, never got the memo.