Etymologically
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exsisto

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ɛksˈsɪs.toː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [eksˈsis.to][1]

Forms

exsistō (present infinitive exsistere, perfect active exstitī, supine exstitum); third conjugation, no passive[1]

Etymology

It is from ex- “out” and sistō “to set, stand”.[2][1][3] It is also spelled ⟨existō⟩, and its perfect cannot be told from that of exstō.[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Pacuvius, of coming into view.[2] Köbler dates Pacuvius 220–130 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to come into view, emerge, appear, as Cicero's rising from the earth, and ab inferīs exsistere to rise from the dead, and of sounds to be heard.[2][6] In Cicero it meant to come forward in some role, and in the Rhetorica ad Herennium to prove to be.[2] In Cicero it meant to come into being, arise, and impersonally it follows that, and in Ulpian of a condition to be fulfilled.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to come forth, appear, emerge, arise, become.[7] It was borrowed into French as exister, which gave English exist about 1600.[1][3]

Timeline

  • 220–130 BC – Pacuvius uses it of coming into view.[2][5]
  • 86/82 BC – The Rhetorica ad Herennium uses it of proving to be.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of rising from the dead.[2][5]
  • c. 1600 – English exist is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To emerge, appear; to rise from the dead; to be heard.[2]
  2. To come forward; to prove to be.[2]
  3. To come into being, arise; it follows.[2]
  4. (Ecclesiastical Latin) To become; to exist.[7][3]

Word family

  • coexsistō
  • exsistentia

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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson