continentality n.

1550s, "continuous tract of land," from continent land (mid-15c.), translating Medieval Latin terra continens "continuous land," from Latin continens "continuous," present participle of continere "to hold together, enclose," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + tenere "to hold" (from PIE root *ten- "to stretch").

As "one of the large land masses of the globe" from 1610s. As "the mainland of Europe" (from the point of view of Britain), from c. 1600.

word-forming element; see -al (1) + -ity. Originally also in reduced form -alty, especially in words from French (mayoralty, etc.), hence the occasional doublet such as fealty/fidelity, realty/reality, specialty/speciality, loyalty/legality.