Etymologically
Log in

consto

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 11:08. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈkõː.stoː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkɔn.sto][1]

Forms

cōnstō (present infinitive cōnstāre, perfect active cōnstitī, supine cōnstātum); first conjugation, no passive[1]

Etymology

It is from con- (“together”) and stō “to stand”, from Proto-Italic *komstaēō.[2][1][3] Its perfect forms cannot be told apart from those of cōnsistō.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citations are from Plautus, of people standing together talking.[2][4] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to stand together, take up a position, as Plautus' characters who stop and chat, of water to stand in a ditch, as in Cato, and to stand still, remain steady.[2][4] It meant to consist of, be composed of, as in Lucilius, to be based on, to exist, to last, and to remain unchanged, also to stand firm.[2]

Impersonally cōnstat meant “it is decided”, “it is plain”, “it is agreed, known”, as in Cicero and Livy.[2] Of statements it meant to be consistent, with sibi cōnstāre “to be consistent with oneself”, and of accounts to balance.[2] It also meant to cost, as in Plautus, and to be worth.[2]

It survives in Italian costare, French coûter, Spanish costar and Romanian custa “to cost”.[1] Through Vulgar Latin *costāre and Old French it is the source of English cost about 1200, and English constant comes from its participle cōnstāns.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of standing together and of costing.[2][5]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of standing water.[4][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses cōnstat “it is agreed”.[2][5]
  • c. 1200 – English cost is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To stand together; to stand still.[2]
  2. To consist (of), be composed (of).[2]
  3. To depend (on).[2]
  4. To exist; to last; to remain unchanged.[2]
  5. To stand firm.[2]
  6. (impersonal) cōnstat, it is agreed, it is known, it is plain.[2]
  7. To be consistent, (of accounts) to balance.[2]
  8. To cost; to be worth.[2]

Word family

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de