resto

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈrɛs.toː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈrɛs.to]^[1]

Forms

restō (present infinitive restāre, perfect active restitī or restāvī); first conjugation, no supine stem, impersonal in the passive^[1]

Etymology

It is from re- “back, again” and stō “to stand”.^[2][1] Its perfect ⟨restitī⟩ coincides with that of resistō, and Propertius has ⟨restāverit⟩.^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of staying put and of what is left over.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to remain where one is, linger, as in Plautus and Pacuvius, and in Ennius to stand firm, resist, and in Lucretius of things to hold out.^[2][3][5] From Ovid it meant to be left undestroyed, and in Cicero of persons to be left alive, survive.^[2] From Plautus it meant to be left over, remain as a residue, and to remain to be done, said or experienced, quod restat “for the time to come”.^[2] Döderlein explains that restāre means to remain as opposed to having passed away, while superesse is opposed to being lacking.^[6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to stop behind, remain, stand still, stand firm.^[7] It survives in French rester, Italian restare and Spanish restar, and it lies behind English rest “remainder”.^[1]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of staying and of remaining.^[2][4]
• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of standing firm.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of survivors.^[2][4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To remain, stay put.^[2]
2. To stand firm, resist; to hold out.^[2]
3. To be left, survive.^[2]
4. To be left over, remain.^[2]
5. To remain to be done or said; to lie in store.^[2]

Word family

• restibilis
• restiō
• restitō
• restitrix
• *arrestō

Related words

• stō
• resistō
• English rest
• English arrest

Usage notes

Döderlein distinguishes it from supersum, to remain as opposed to be lacking.^[6]

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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
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. ^ a b Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson