Etymologically
Log in

substo

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 17 October 2026 at 01:38. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

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

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