English
consistent
Consistent comes from Latin cōnsistēns, from cōnsistō ‘to stand firm, agree’, from con- + sistō ‘to cause to stand’, from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-‘to stand’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*stísteh₂ti‘to be standing up’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sistō‘to set, place’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsistō‘to cause to stand; to place’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnsistō‘to agree with; to continue’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnsistēns‘consistent, standing firm’present participle of cōnsistō
- Englishearliest quotation 1661consistent
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-‘to stand’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*stísteh₂ti‘to be standing up’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sistō‘to set, place’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsistō‘to cause to stand; to place’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnsistō‘to agree with; to continue’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnsistēns‘consistent, standing firm’present participle of cōnsistō
- Englishearliest quotation 1661consistent
Earliest quotation: 1661, Galileo Galilei, Galilæus: Galilæus Lincæus, His Systeme of the World. The Se: “The Diurnal motion of the primum mobile, is it…”
Equivalent to consist + -ent
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand (up)’
state, post, stay, rest, stand, distance, stadium, stood, stable, instance, establish, stability, substance, destiny, constitution, destination, stem, instant, testimony, contest, distant, stud, prostitution, stationary, stool, prostitute, stale, stamina, substitution, extant, distal, attest, stow, metastatic, steadfast, stead, destitute, stalwart, astute, oust, 142 more
through Proto-Indo-European *stísteh₂ti ‘to be standing up’
system, assistance, assistant, assist, static, resist, insist, persistent, persist, solstice, armistice, desist, subsistence, histone, existentialist, stater, 34 more
through Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm ‘beside, by, near, with’
among, gain, comply, hind, likeness, kata, limbed, 32 more
through Proto-Italic *kom ‘with, along, at’
through Proto-Italic *kom- ‘together’
competition, conference, counter, concrete, con, consideration, commodity, compulsory, compel, concierge, contra, connotation, condiment, condescend, 15 more
Today it means
adj Of a regularly occurring, dependable nature.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- / consistent