Etymograph

English

constant

Constant comes from Old French constant, from Latin cōnstāns ‘standing firm’, from cōnstō ‘to stand firm’, from Proto-Italic *komstaēō.

  1. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*komstaēō‘to stand together’reconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnstōas cōnstāre‘to stand firm’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnstāns‘standing firm, constant’
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400constant
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  6. Englishearliest quotation c. 1580same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*komstaēō‘to stand together’reconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnstōas cōnstāre‘to stand firm’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnstāns‘standing firm, constant’
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400constant
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  6. Englishearliest quotation c. 1580same form

Earliest quotation: c. 1580, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., [The Second Booke] Chapter 3: “Both loving one fair maid, they yet remained constant…”

Linked words

through Latin cōnstō ‘to stand firm’

cost, 5 more

Today it means

adj Unchanged through time or space; permanent.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Italic *komstaēō / constant

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