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exsto

Etymology and origin of the Latin word exsto

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
Lucretius
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*steh₂-)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈɛks(ː)toː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈɛks.sto][1]

Forms

exstō (present infinitive exstāre, future active participle exstātūrus); first conjugation, no passive, no perfect or supine stems except in the future active participle[1] Also spelled extō; the perfect ex(s)titī cannot be told apart from that of exsistō, and Pliny the Elder has the future participle exstātūrus.[2][3]

Etymology

It is from ex- “out” and stō “to stand”.[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨stō⟩ to Proto-Indo-European *sth₂-éh₁-ye- (“to stand”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Lucretius, of something standing out.[2] Köbler dates Lucretius 96–55 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to stand out, project, protrude, as in Lucretius and Caesar's men who stood with only their heads above the water; to be conspicuous, as in Quintilian; and to exist, be extant, be found, as in Cicero, also in a given state.[2][6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to stand out, appear, come forth, exist.[7]

Timeline

  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of existing.[2][5]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of standing out.[6][5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To stand out, project, protrude.[2]
  2. To be conspicuous.[2]
  3. To exist, be extant.[2]

Word family

  • exstantia

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Exsto.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/exsto. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·