Etymologically
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стоять

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Pronunciation

  • [stɐˈjætʲ][1]

Forms

стоя́ть (stojátʹ) impf (perfective постоя́ть, verbal noun (nomen actionis) стоя́ние or (nomen actionis instantiae; nomen loci) стоя́нка or (nomen loci et instrumenti) сто́йло or (nomen loci) сто́йбище, verbal adjective стоя́чий or стоя́лый, verbal adverb стоймя́)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old East Slavic стоꙗти (stojati), from Proto-Slavic *stojati (“to stand”), present *stojǫ.[1][2][3] The verb is shared by the Slavic languages: Old Church Slavonic стоꙗти (stojati), Ukrainian стояти (stojaty), Bulgarian стоя (stojá), Czech stát, present stojím, and Polish stać, present stoję.[2][4]

Vasmer connects the Proto-Slavic verb by ablaut with *stati, the source of стать.[2] Its closest outside matches are the Italic statives with ⟨-ai-⟩: Oscan staít (“stands”), Latin stō (“to stand”) from an older ⟨*stāiō⟩, and Lithuanian stóti (“to take a stand, step in”).[2] Further cognates are Ancient Greek ἵστημι (hístēmi, “I set up”), sistō and Old High German stān (“to stand”), all from the root Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand”).[2][1] Shaposhnikov reconstructs the stem as *stə-jē-tei, a derivative of *stā-.[3] Wiktionary's Proto-Slavic page takes it from an earlier *stojěti, Proto-Balto-Slavic *stajḗˀtei, perhaps a stative made from a participle stem.[1] Shansky and Bobrova instead derive it from a lost verb *stoti (“to put”), comparing the same Lithuanian verb.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The verb is in the Ostromir Gospel of 1056–1057: „стоя и грѣяся” “standing and warming himself”, of Peter in the high priest's courtyard (John 18:18).[6] An inscription of the 11th–12th century already has it in the plain sense “to stand upright on one's feet”.[7]

Semantic evolution

Old Russian used the verb far beyond standing upright: Sreznevsky lists “to stay, linger”, “to be present”, “to be quartered”, “to besiege”, “to resist”, “to stand up for, defend”, “to insist” and “to be in charge”.[8] The Lay of Igor's Campaign has banners that “stand” in Putivl, and the phrase стояти подъ “to lay siege to” is in the Novgorod First Chronicle under 1193.[9] The participle стоꙗчии is recorded from the 15th century, and dictionaries list the verb as стою from 1704 and as стоять from 1762.[3]

Many figurative phrases grew from the sense “to stand”: Vinogradov traces стоять одной ногой в гробу “to have one foot in the grave” to Chekhov, with an 18th-century forerunner in Fyodor Emin (1788).[10] Modern slang uses the third person стоит of male potency and, by extension, of being keen on something.[11]

Timeline

  • 1056–1057 – стоꙗ “standing” in the Ostromir Gospel.[6]
  • 11th–12th century – “to stand upright” in an inscription.[7]
  • 1193 – стояша подъ городомъ “they besieged the town” in the Novgorod First Chronicle (13th-century manuscript).[9]
  • 15th century – the participle стоꙗчии.[3]
  • 1704 – the first person стою in a dictionary.[3]
  • 1762 – the infinitive стоять in a dictionary.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To stand: to be upright on one's feet without moving.[12][13][1]
  2. Of things, to be upright or to be placed or situated somewhere: a house стоит on the river bank.[12][14][1]
  3. To stay still, not to move; of machines and work, to be idle or at a standstill.[14][1]
  4. (figurative) To hold firm, to withstand; with на + prepositional, to keep firmly to an opinion.[1][15]
  5. (colloquial) To queue, to stand in line.[1]
  6. (figurative) To stand up for someone or something, with за: to defend their interests.[12]
  7. Of food, to keep, not to spoil.[12]
  8. (imperative стой!) Stop!, halt![1][13]

Word family

  • стоянка
  • стояние
  • стойло
  • стойбище
  • стоячий
  • стоймя
  • постоять
  • простоять
  • настоять
  • состоять
  • отстоять
  • устоять
  • предстоять
  • противостоять
  • становиться
  • стать
  • ставить
  • постоялый
  • застой
  • настой
  • настойка
  • настояние
  • отстой
  • Old East Slavic стоꙗти (stojati)

Usage notes

Стоять has the perfective постоять “to stand for a while”.[1] The verb стоить “to cost” is a different word;[16] Vasmer takes it, perhaps, from Polish stać, stoi “costs”.[16]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 3, 769
  3. ^ a b c d e f Shaposhnikov, A. K. (2010), Ètimologičeskij slovar' sovremennogo russkogo jazyka [Этимологический словарь современного русского языка], 2 vols., Moskva: Flinta / Nauka, p. 2, 384
  4. ^ Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 468
  5. ^ Shansky, N. M.; Bobrova, T. A. (2004), Škol'nyj ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka [Школьный этимологический словарь русского языка], 7th ed., Moskva: Drofa, p. s.v. стоять
  6. ^ a b Barkhudarov, S. G. et al. (eds.) (1975–), Slovar' russkogo jazyka XI–XVII vv. [Словарь русского языка XI–XVII вв.], vols. 1–31, Moskva: Nauka / Azbukovnik / Lexrus, p. 28, 110
  7. ^ a b Avanesov, R. I. et al. (eds.) (1988–), Slovar' drevnerusskogo jazyka (XI–XIV vv.) [Словарь древнерусского языка (XI–XIV вв.)], vols. 1–13, Moskva: Russkij jazyk / Azbukovnik, p. 11, 549
  8. ^ Sreznevsky, I. I. (1893–1912), Materialy dlja slovarja drevne-russkago jazyka po pis'mennym pamjatnikam [Материалы для словаря древнерусского языка по письменным памятникам], 3 vols., Sankt-Peterburg: Imperatorskaja Akademija nauk, p. 3, s.v. стояти
  9. ^ a b Vinogradova, V. L. (1965–1984), Slovar'-spravočnik «Slova o polku Igoreve» [Словарь-справочник «Слова о полку Игореве»], 6 vols., Moskva / Leningrad: Nauka, p. s.v. стояти
  10. ^ Vinogradov, V. V. (1999), Istorija slov [История слов], Moskva: Institut russkogo jazyka RAN (online edition, etymolog.ruslang.ru), p. s.v. стоять
  11. ^ Elistratov, V. S. (2000), Slovar' russkogo argo [Словарь русского арго], Moskva: Russkie slovari, p. s.v. стоять
  12. ^ a b c d Ozhegov, S. I.; Shvedova, N. Yu. (1997), Tolkovyj slovar' russkogo jazyka [Толковый словарь русского языка], 4th ed., Moskva: Azbukovnik, p. s.v. стоять
  13. ^ a b Evgen'eva, A. P. (ed.) (1981–1984), Slovar' russkogo jazyka v četyrex tomax [Словарь русского языка в 4 тт.] (MAS), 2nd ed., Moskva: Russkij jazyk, p. s.v. стоять
  14. ^ a b Ushakov, D. N. (ed.) (1935–1940), Tolkovyj slovar' russkogo jazyka [Толковый словарь русского языка], 4 vols., Moskva: Sovetskaja ènciklopedija / OGIZ, p. s.v. стоять
  15. ^ Efremova, T. F. (2000), Novyj slovar' russkogo jazyka. Tolkovo-slovoobrazovatel'nyj [Новый словарь русского языка. Толково-словообразовательный], 2 vols., Moskva: Russkij jazyk, p. s.v. стоять
  16. ^ a b Vasmer, Max (1964–1973), Ètimologičeskij slovar' russkogo jazyka, transl. and suppl. by O. N. Trubačev, 4 vols., Moskva: Progress, p. 3, 769–770