English
distal
Distal comes from Latin distāns ‘standing apart’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *steh₂-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-‘to stand (up)’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sth₂éh₁yeti‘to stand’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*staējōreconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*staēō‘to stand’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstō‘to stand’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdistō‘to stand apart’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdistāns‘standing apart’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400distant
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500distaunt
- English1500–presentdistant
- Englishearliest quotation 2023distal
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*steh₂-‘to stand (up)’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sth₂éh₁yeti‘to stand’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*staējōreconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*staēō‘to stand’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEstō‘to stand’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdistō‘to stand apart’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdistāns‘standing apart’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400distant
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500distaunt
- English1500–presentdistant
- Englishearliest quotation 2023distal
Earliest quotation: 2023, Simon Mays, The Macroscopic Study of Human Skeletal Paleopathology: “Among the hypothesized diagnoses was metastatic carcinoma. In metastatic…”
A compound of distant + -al
Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand (up)’
…
Latin distō ‘to stand apart’
Latin distāns ‘standing apart’
Old French distant
Middle English distaunt
English distant
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- ‘to stand (up)’
system, state, post, stay, stand, constitution, contest, stood, assistant, consistent, assistance, destination, stable, stem, testimony, stadium, destiny, assist, resist, static, prostitution, persistent, insist, consist, stud, prostitute, stool, substitution, persist, restitution, attest, stamina, steadfast, stead, solstice, destitute, astute, armistice, subsistence, stow, 142 more
through Proto-Italic *staējō
through Proto-Italic *staēō ‘to stand’
arrest, establishment, stability, establish, stationary, instantaneous, restive, instantiation, 17 more
through Latin stō ‘to stand’
rest, station, stage, instance, instant, substance, extant, oust, obstetric, 28 more
Today it means
adj Remote from the point of attachment or origin.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- / distal