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resisto

Etymology and origin of the Latin word resisto

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (sistō)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin resisto
English resist

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [rɛˈsɪs.toː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [reˈs̬is.to][1]

Forms

resistō (present infinitive resistere, perfect active restitī); third conjugation, no supine stem, impersonal in the passive[1]

Etymology

It is from re- “back, again” and sistō “to stop, stand”.[2][1][3] Its perfect ⟨restitī⟩ coincides with that of restō.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of stopping on a journey.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to stop, halt, as Terence's resiste “stop!”, of things in Ovid, and in Cicero to stop short.[2][5] In Virgil it meant to break off in speech, and in Cicero to plant oneself in a place.[2] From Caesar it meant to make a stand against an enemy, and in Cicero to oppose a person or argument, to stand in the way of a measure, and to resist a feeling.[2] In Virgil it meant of things to withstand a force, and in Pliny the Elder of remedies to be effective.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to withstand, resist, oppose.[6] It survives in Italian resistere and French résister, and English resist came in the late 14th century.[1][3]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of stopping.[2][4]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of making a stand.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of opposing.[2][4]
  • late 14th century – English resist is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To stop, halt; to break off.[2]
  2. To plant oneself.[2]
  3. To make a stand; to resist.[2]
  4. To oppose; to stand in the way of.[2]
  5. To struggle against (a feeling).[2]
  6. To withstand; of remedies, to be effective.[2]

Word family

  • resistentia

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 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 d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson

Borrowed into

Cite this entry

“Resisto.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/resisto. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·