substo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈsʊp.stoː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈsub.sto]^[1]

Forms

substō (present infinitive substāre, perfect active substetī, supine substatum); first conjugation, impersonal in the passive^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin sub- + stō (“to stand”).^[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨stō⟩ to Proto-Italic ⟨*sta-ē-je/o-⟩, from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is Terence, apparently “to stand firm”.^[2][4] Köbler dates Terence 190–159 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant apparently to hold one's ground, stand firm, as in Terence, and in Celsus to be underneath, to be present, exist, and Lewis & Short call it very rare and not in Cicero.^[2][6][4] The OLD assigns all perfect forms to subsistō.^[2]

It survives as Italian sostare “to pause”.^[1]

Timeline

• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it.^[2][5]
• 14–37 AD – Celsus uses it.^[2][5]

Meanings

Verb

1. To stand firm.^[2][4]
2. To be underneath; to be present, exist.^[2][6]

Word family

• substantia

Related words

• stō
• subsistō
• English substance

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
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 Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press